Repeating The Cycle
by Angel of Pandemonium
Summary: "We can only wait. We have been defeated again, just like in the Silver Millennia. Just like then, they-" she motioned the graves of their fallen sisters, and the royal family, "Shall once again be reborn. I don't know when or how… or even what names they will take. We cannot win alone. Their souls were trapped in those gems, they will be reborn as well." AU My first SM fanfiction
1. Prologue: The Cycle Repeats

**So… this is an AU in a weird way… just… go with it. There is no fixed year. I'm putting this in a time warp type thing. The original series was in the nineties…. And Crystal is** _ **set**_ **in the nineties. However, I feel that- because of the major time jump I'm going to be doing, there is no set year… that it began the second time. Basically, Helios kind of… froze time… in a way.**

 **Also, the prologue and part one will both be relatively short. You could say that part one is another part of the prologue in a way. It details what happens before the story line begins.**

* * *

 _ **PROLOGUE- The Cycle Repeats**_

 _Ami Mizuno- Sailor Mercury_

No one expected this to happen. No one could have seen this coming if they had tried. It was too soon for this kind of thing. The Crystal Kingdom had finally come to be, her home world finally re- vitalized.

She didn't understand. She, the tactician of the sailor scouts, the 'brain' (so to say) of the Sailor Scouts. She'd just seen her Queen married to the love of all of her lives. Ami cried inside, even as she fought the soldier of the Crystal Kingdom's enemy. She was losing.

She did not see the blow to her ribs- a blow that would have killed her- until it was somehow deflected. She gasped as she saw the culprit for this phenomenon. Something that she hadn't seen since… since the generals died.

A stone… a Zoisite stone. She gasped. She'd seen that particular stone (now pieces of stone). "No…" She whispered, her eyes filled with tears, but she had no time to dwell on his sacrifice. He had- as she'd known, ended his existence in the stone- Zoisite was no more.

She continued the fight, her energy renewed at the thought of her soul's former lover sacrificing himself. All in vain, she realized later, for the next time she was struck, there was nothing to hold the blow back, she was done. As she lay bleeding, she fought the tears.

Again, this had happened. Again, their lives were ruined, and again, they were forced to watch the world they loved be decimated. Again, she lost the man that- even now- she loved. The princess- now queen- she'd been sworn to protect, the man that Usagi loved, dead as well as their child- a _baby_ who had yet to live as they knew she would…

And as she closed her eyes for the last time, she could swear that the taunting laughter was familiar. Horribly, _horribly_ familiar.

 _Rei Hino- Sailor Mars_

There was simply no end! She fought, her fires burned far brighter than she was used to, her energy was waning. She watched, helpless to assist as Sailor Mercury fell, let out a scream of anger and sorrow, even as she felt the knife pierce her flesh. She still fought. She'd sustained worse injuries, after all, than this.

The next blade was aimed at her heart. It would have killed her then, if not for…. She frowned, looking for the reason the knife had not hit the target, only to see the glistening stone on the ground in pieces. " _Jadeite_ ," she whispered.

He protected her one last time- when he could not have before. However, the thought came too late, she was already far too wounded to continue for much longer, the princess she served- as well as Usagi's family- had already perished. It was at an end, they had lost, for without Sailor Moon, they lost their hold.

She fell to her knees when the last blade's aim held true. Her opponent laughed as she fell, as blood poured from her body, covering the stone that held the soul of the man she'd once given her heart to….

 _"I'm sorry, Usagi…"_ her voice was raspy as she fell.

 _Makoto Kino- Sailor Jupiter_

She cried out as she felt her sisters' deaths. One by one, the guardians fell… one by one they lost. Now, there were three less- four if one counted baby Chibiusa… five if Mamoru was counted. Dear gods! Mamoru and Usagi! What were they to do? Their sole purpose, again had been stolen far too soon! She did not cry. She _could_ not. There were no tears left. She could only wait for death to take her as surely as it had been taking her comrades.

She was slowing down, her attacks getting weaker. With each storm she summoned, she felt her strength leaving. _Have courage, my love_ ….

She gasped as she looked around. It could not be…! Nephrite? But… how was this possible? He was… dead. Another cry escaped at the thought. What did she _have_ left? The reincarnation of the mighty princess Tova of Jupiter… she really was a pale imitation….

 _No! you_ are _strength, my love, My Tova, Makoto… Lita… whatever name you go by… you are strong._ His voice again, she gasped as new tears (she had thought she'd run out) ran down her cheeks, mingling with the blood that dripped down. He was wrong.

Nephrite was wrong, and she would die here, again…. As she had at his hands all those years before… she did not see the arrow of light strike out at her, but she screamed again, as it hit her- wait, no. it didn't connect? She looked around, confused, only to see the stone.

 _Fight on, my lightning witch._ His voice made her sob again. But she felt more invigorated. She may not have been able to save her princess… she may die here…. But she would be damned if she didn't take as many of these black-hearted bastards with her. She threw herself right back into the fray, even as she felt the wounds she'd already sustained pulling, bleeding.

She would fight until her last breath.

 _Minako Aino- Sailor Venus_

She heard her warrior sister's last defiant scream as she let out the last of the thunder she'd had left. Sailor Jupiter fell, and Minako could do nothing. Great Venus, she could do _nothing!_ She watched her sisters-in-arms fall, the _one_ person in the _universe_ that she was supposed to protect…! She was a failure as a commander.

She was a failure as a sister.

What was she to do but keep fighting? If nothing else, then she'd have a glorious death in battle- not something she'd ever wanted- that was more Mako's speed… always had been… at least until she'd met Nephrite. Much like she'd been…

She parried and blocked, sword in one hand, Venus chain in the other. She was the most powerful, after all, after Mako, she was the strongest physically- no one could truly hold a candle against the Jovians when it came down to brute strength, after all.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it- that bright, white light-spear headed towards her. She knew then, that she could do nothing to stop it, bracing herself, she prepared for death. _Kunzite, my love, let's meet again in the after world…_ she closed her eyes…

The surprising sound of the light shattering something caused her eyes to fly open, enough time to parry yet another attack, and look to see what had saved her. She gasped as the crystal- _Kunzite-_ lay before her, shattered like glass, and she felt her eyes water.

The last thing she thought of was her knight in shining armor. The one who tried to save her when he _knew_ she needed it.

 _AFTERMATH_

They'd been too late. Sailor Pluto's lips trembled as she surveyed the aftermath of the battle in Crystal Tokyo. She was rarely wrong in her premonitions…. But this… this had been the exception. She looked over at her compatriots to see Sailor Saturn holding Sailor Neptune as the teal-haired woman cried over the needless death.

Sailor Saturn's footsteps came to a stop beside her. "We were wrong…" she whispered, her violet eyes held sorrow that Setsuna could fathom only because she felt it now, herself. Like the others, they'd felt the deaths of their sisters-at-arms, as they hurtled through space. She could only nod. "We were."

They'd come just in time to seal away the evil that had returned. "I had thought that we would have more time before that… that _thing_ returned." Her face twisted into a helpless snarl. "But… we were wrong. Metelia got the upper hand on us."

"What are we to do now?" Sailor Neptune whispered from her lover's arms. Sailor Saturn studied them both with troubled, blank eyes. The same question was reflected in the darker blue gaze she set on them. Setsuna shook her head as she looked at Hotaru, Michiru, and Hakura.

"We can only wait. We have been defeated again, just like in the Silver Millenia. Just like then, they-" she motioned the graves of their fallen sisters, and the royal family, "Shall once again be reborn. I don't know when or how… or even what names they will take." The woman sighed as she looked over the graves.

"We cannot win." She murmured. "That, I _can_ see." The others gasped. "You can't _mean_ that, Setsuna!" Michiru gripped Hotaru harder, her face becoming pained. "What do we do?" she whispered, voice hoarse. "If we can't win…"

"We cannot win _alone_." Setsuna clarified. She cast a gaze to Hakura. "We need help… we need those who were lost in the Silver Millennia."

"If you are referring to the generals, they are dead as well." Hotaru murmured. Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Their souls were trapped in those gems," she murmured, as she once again swept her eyes over the graves. The four inner scouts were buried with the gems that had protected them. "They will be reborn as well."

"In the meantime, what do we do?" Michiru asked.

"We are immortal, we cannot die. Not without injury. We do not age, either, and our planets have awakened." Hakura pointed out. "We shouldn't just _wait-_ "

"We _must_. We don't have Usagi, anymore." Hotaru deadpanned. "Without her, we can only do so much." She frowned at the other two. "We wait."

"And if Metalia takes over the minds of the generals again? The first time, she did it through Beryl… foolish woman…" the guardian of Saturn sneered. "But it _will_ happen again, should we allow this to go on. They are the _perfect_ targets." To this, Pluto Nodded in agreement.

"You make a fantastic point." Setsuna frowned, pondering. "We've sealed her essence- for now, though… we just don't have the same amount of power as Queen Serenity did- or even Usagi. The essence will seep out. Slowly. Over a millennium. That's how long we have." She hesitated.

"We wait, we watch. When the generals are born, we watch over them." It was Hotaru who spoke. "They won't be put under the control of Metalia because we will be their guardians." She frowned again. "It's the only chance they have."

The other three nodded. "That is the most logical course of action." Michiru said softly. "The only way." We keep lookout for their births. When they are born… we will watch over them. With them as well as the other guardians, we may actually stand a chance against that evil witch when she resurfaces…"

"Are you sure about this?" Hakura asked softly, demurer than they were used to from the tomboy. It was Michiru who usually acted this way. Setsuna just nodded. "If we have any hope, it is with this plan." She replied.

"So, it shall be done." Hotaru whispered softly, the butt of her staff hit the ground. "We shall return to our home planets for now. When Helios gives news of the birth of the first of the Generals, we will return. Are we all in agreement?" the others nodded and took their leave.

* * *

 **So… that's the prologue. R &R if you liked it and want more. This is kind of just a test… Anyway. Thanks for giving it a chance…. AOP out!**

 **P.S.- Sorry for killing _everyone_ but the Outer Sailor Scouts. it needed to happen. I really didn't like it... but what can ya do?**


	2. Act 1- Rebirth Cycle I

**Welcome to part one. This is basically going to be the starting point- another prologue of sorts (as I told you), in which we see the births of the Prince and Generals. I was actually lazy with their names- opting to just use their original names, mostly because I was tired of looking up names, and I already had to do that for the girls… their names in the Silver Millennium, and this new era.**

 **Also, just so you all know: The inner planets- Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Venus are in a state of sleep. They are frozen. Earth is in a state of stasis- it's not asleep, but it doesn't…** _ **move**_ **, I guess. It's stuck in time, because without it's king- Endymion, it** _ **can't**_ **move forward, but the people aren't asleep because Endymion's aura is still** _ **there**_ **.**

 **Metalia was killed off in the original, but I interpreted the words differently. In the final battle, Usagi uses the words "Scatter into Dust". In my world, Usagi just didn't have enough power behind it to actually kill her, but she** _ **did**_ **scatter her essence. It was supposed to last a** _ **long**_ **while, but… well, she was able to re-assemble herself and proceeded to gather more power to go back to Earth for revenge. This** _ **will be explained**_ **later.**

* * *

 _ **Act 1- The Rebirth Cycle I**_

 _ **Chapter 1- The Generals and The Prince**_

 _ **~ Nine Hundred Years Later~**_

It was time. Queen- formerly princess- Setsuna Meioh of Pluto sat up on her settee, violet eyes wide. The first had been born. The knight of purity and affection, Kunzite, had been reborn. She had known he'd be the first- he was the eldest, after all. She rose from the couch.

"Get me a com to Queen Hotaru Tomoe." She said it softly to the servant who'd been waiting on her. Bowing, the young woman left the room, returning moments later with what looked like a square mirror. Gently, she handed the device to her queen and discreetly left.

Turning the dial on the device, Setsuna set it to send a transmission to Saturn. Immediately, the other queen answered. "Setsuna." She said softly. "Lovely to hear from you… it is time then?" Without a word, Setsuna nodded. Hotaru smiled gently. "Excellent. We shall meet on Earth… though we should keep it on the downlow… we don't want the Terrans getting… excited…"

Setsuna snorted. "Oh, you mean like they did the first time one of us visited? Wasn't it Princess Thisbe of Venus during the Silver Millennium?" Hotaru laughed.

"If I remember correctly, it was her mother, Aphrodite…. They worshiped her as a god." Was the dry reply. "Unless you're referring to Serenity's… well… the _thing_ that _still_ continuously blows up in their faces…" the other woman made a face in the mirror.

Setsuna just sighed. "So, who should go watch over this one?"

"I will." Hotaru got up from her own throne, her eyes glinting. "She's starting to escape." She informed the other woman. The Queen of Pluto hissed, but answered just the same. "I'm aware. Nine hundred years… not nearly the Millennia that I thought we'd have… we were weaker than I thought."

"Perhaps it was not our strength that you overestimated. It may be directly tied in with the rebirth of the generals." Setsuna just shook her head as the other monarch spoke. Her eyes were narrowed.

"I'd be inclined to agree, only one problem. She is not tied to the Generals. The Generals are tied to Endymion. Unless she's feeding off the energy they're giving off…"

"You yourself said that she's been escaping slowly for the last thousand years. Her essence leaking out of the prison we fashioned." The other pointed out. "Is it so astonishing to believe that this _isn't_ the case? That she _is_ feeding off the birth of the generals- and the prince? As far as I know, the new incarnation of Endymion is going to be born, as well as Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoisite. Well, Nephrite will be before Endymion, but... They are _immortals_ , and rather powerful ones. They cannot die unless directly killed, and even then, the last time that happened, they managed to live after the deaths of their bodies in the stones they took their names after. Even if they _didn't_ have the training of their past lives- something that I suspect we will give them, as well- they were powerful adversaries."

Setsuna frowned as she thought of this. That was a good point. Why hadn't she thought of this before? She, who was supposed to be the keeper of time? she sighed. "I suppose that is a valid argument. After all, it's as good a theory as any…" she murmured, tapping her chin.

"I should take my leave. The sooner I get there, the better for us- and for him. God knows that evil bitch is going to be gunning for him as soon as he's old enough to understand."

"Talk to Helios. He's been guarding Luna and Artemis." Setsuna told Hotaru. "He'll also tell you where the child is." She smirked as she sat back down. "I think I should send Hakura after the next." She pondered the implications. "That would be hilarious…" she chuckled.

 _Meanwhile_

After the conversation with Setsuna, Hotaru prepared to leave her home world immediately. She looked at her secretary of state, the person she left in charge while she was gone- something that, had she been anyone else, she would have thought twice about, however, both _she_ , her secretary knew that she'd be checking in periodically.

That alone made her comfortable with the arrangement. "You know the drill." She said dryly. The man nodded, bowing low, before she exited the room. Quickly, she transformed, from the gown she wore daily to her uniform.

Upon finishing that, she disappeared, travelling to Earth faster than she should- but, time was of the essence. She had to find the child and then, insert herself into his life to become his mentor. It was the only way that this would work. Perhaps she'd be able to safeguard him against Metalia. The four of them contemplated the possibility with Helios.

She arrived in Elysion, to find the two immortal cats and the one immortal human. She smiled at the cats in greeting and turned to Helios. "He's been born, then? You sent word to Setsuna." She said. Helios smirked as he shook his head.

"He hasn't quite been born yet. But… his mother is in labor as we speak."

"Where?" she asked.

Helios grinned. "Tokyo Medical University Hospital." He replied. "I've kept Earth at a standstill until Endymion and his knights are born. Nothing has changed- in _any_ way in nine hundred years." To this, Hotaru frowned.

"Why would you do that?"

"To keep Metalia from knowing how much time passed. We've been in a state of… suspended growth. Now that Kunzite has returned… well, the world is moving again." The other woman frowned but nodded. Suddenly, the awakening of Queen Metalia made more sense.

"What room am I looking for?" she asked, changing the subject. Helios laughed, "At least I didn't go try and find him myself. It would be far too confusing." She frowned. "Too many rooms.

"True. Ask for Mr. and Mrs. Volkov. They're the parents of this time." She nodded, taking the file he handed her, and left. Helios looked down at Artemis and Luna. "Do you think this is a good idea?" he asked softly. Luna let out a sigh, but it was Artemis that spoke.

"To be honest… I think it's the only thing _to_ do." He said. "After all, she may be able to give him an edge over Metalia, something he didn't have the first time around… and that alone would have saved _many_ lives… including his own and Thisbe's"

"Who was Thisbe?" Helios frowned as he thought about it. Artemis snickered. "Thisbe _was_ Sailor Venus in the Silver Millennium." Luna answered while her mate chortled. "Thisbe was Venus, Hestia was Mars, Tova was Jupiter, and Anahita was Mercury. When they were reborn the first time, they were Mina of Venus, Lita of Jupiter, Raye of Mars, Amy of Mercury, and Serena was Serenity." She said. "They didn't meet in that line, and they were safe…. Kind of. They weren't born anywhere near each other."

"So," Helios frowned. "The other time they were all born at the same time?"

"Ami, Minako, Makoto, Usagi, and Rei." The black cat said, a gentle smile coming to her face. "The closest incarnations to the original. Powerful, beautiful inside and out…. Though Mina always had a habit of falling in love too easily…"

"For now, we watch… Unless?" he cocked his head at the two felines, questioning them.

"Until Usagi- or Serenity… or Selene is reborn, I stay here." Luna said. Artemis nodded. "Same here, until Mina… or Thisbe… or whatever name she gets stuck with this time- is born, I stay." The high priest of Earth nodded. "Shall we watch over them, then?" he asked softly. The other two guardians nodded.

XXXXX~ Line Break ~XXXXX

At the hospital, Hotaru made her way to the maternity ward, stopping only to ask directions to the room she needed. When asked if she was family, she merely smiled and said that she was a cousin of sorts to the wife.

She met Mr. Volkov outside the room. He was tall, lean and surprisingly tan for Russian, she noted. Handsome, too. She smiled. He looked like Kunzite had all those years before, though his hair was crow black, and chopped short, conservatively. He was clean shaven, showing sharp features that she was sure would be passed on to the child.

His eyes were pale and brilliant as frosted over metal. Somewhere between ice blue and silver. She smiled at him. "Excuse me, Mr. Volkov?" she called. The man- who had most definitely been a bit stressed out (how else was one supposed to act while their wife was in labor?), to look at the raven-haired woman walking toward him.

She, he saw, was short. Short and petite. Like a china doll, she carried herself oddly. Somewhere between royalty and a warrior. It was unnerving to say the least. "Yes." His voice was strained as he answered her. Her smile was gentle, understanding.

"I'm sorry. I only just found out where you and Kira were." She said, mentioning his wife. Stephan frowned. "And who _are_ you?"

"Hotaru Tomoe. A cousin of Kira's. I've been looking for you two _forever_." She put emphasis on that, making herself seem younger than she was. She knew how to play the game, put people at ease and Hotaru made a point of making him feel less threatened… even if she could destroy this whole world in the blink of an eye.

"Kira doesn't talk to her family." He growled, his back straightened. "Not after they disowned her…"

"I'm aware of that. They disowned me, too. Why do you think I came to find you?" she gave him a wry smirk. His eyes were narrowed suspiciously, but she'd read the file Helios had given to her. The family of Mrs. Kira Volkov was disowned after marrying her husband, Stephan Volkov.

"I wanted to get in touch with my cousin- the one that no one talks about. I never met her before, and I figured now would be the time… though I didn't know I'd be interrupting a birth…" she winced, running her hand through her hair. The man immediately relaxed. He seemed to buy her story.

"Somehow, this doesn't surprise me… You're staying in the city, then?" he asked abruptly. She smiled, thinking of her parents' old house- one that she'd kept as her own since their deaths many years ago. She'd checked on it before coming to the hospital and had seen that it was in good shape.

"I am. I own a house in Tokyo." She replied. "One in St. Petersburg as well…. Though I don't quite know why…." She frowned. "I have no intention of going there…" for now, anyway. It depended on what the family did.

The nurse took that moment to come out and congratulate the new father on his son… to which Stephan smiled at her and invited her in. She _did_ feel a bit guilty for deceiving these people, but if it was to keep their child safe, and train him to make sure that _he_ could keep _himself_ safe, then she'd do it.

Besides, it wasn't really that bad of a lie. She wasn't after their money, or their esteem. Just after keeping the child out of Metalia's hands. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the dark matter- wispy and inconsistent- spiraling around the child. She sneered and let out a powerful spell around the family. The tendrils of power sizzled and a shriek- only heard by her ears- sounded.

She looked at the child in the woman's arms while Stephan explained things to his wife and was met with the same eyes- at least the same shape at this point- he was a newborn baby only minutes old, after all- stared at her with the cloudy blue-grey of new life.

She could swear that he actually _saw_ her, despite not being able to. The silver tuft of hair on his head made her grin, as she whispered. "Hello, little Kunzite…"

She'd thought it would have been too quiet for them to hear, but Stephan cocked his head to the side. "Kunzite?" he asked. Hotaru just smiled as she looked up at him. "He reminds me of the stone Kunzite. How on _earth_ did he get the silver hair?"

"I suppose from my family. There have been some in my line that've had silver hair…" Stephan frowned, trying to remember. His wife giggled. "not under the age of fifty, dear." She replied, though she was undoubtedly exhausted, she still cuddled the baby. "I think it's a good name. My little Kunzite…"

"He'll be teased at school." The father deadpanned. "It's a bit… out there for a name, even if it does suit him…" he cocked his head to the side as a nurse helped him pick the child up and hold him. "Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad name…" he murmured.

And so, it began for the child. The dredges of the dark lapped (and burned) at the edges of her shield. This child was more at risk than she'd thought. Her eyes hardened for a second. If Metalia was vying so hard for the Generals now, she couldn't help but wonder if it would go after Endymion, as well… or worse, her sisters…

Well, _shit._

XXXXX~ LINE BREAK ~XXXXX

Over the course of the next few months, she integrated herself into the small family who spent their time between Russia and Japan- As Stephan was half-Japanese, and he was a member of the diplomatic party between Japan and Russia, it was necessary, though he spent most of his time at the Embassy in Japan. She was free to visit whenever she wanted- she stayed most days with the Kira and little Kunz- which is what they'd decided to call him.

He was a bright little thing, and by the time he was four months old, he'd begun speaking, by the time he was seven months, he'd begun walking. He was a quiet child, serious and silent- something that worried his parents a bit, but Hotaru told them not to worry, as she made him giggle and clap. The child- true to her prediction was rather beautiful, with silver hair and eyes that matched his father's.

Sometimes, she would catch him staring at her with that oddly contemplative look on his face. Unnerving for a child under a year old to have, for sure. She didn't mind it, though. After all, this was only the latest of his _many_ reincarnations. She didn't quite know how many. She would pick him up and walk with him to the window.

"Soon, little one," she'd murmur, as she cuddled him. "Soon, you will need to start training. Until you're ready, I will let _nothing_ hurt you." She'd given him a charm, a charm made over nine hundred years ago by Rei for each of them. Its power was great now, as her magic tended to grow as time passed. Especially her protection magic.

"For when I cannot be here, little knight." She whispered to him. He played with the charm, bright eyes curious. "After all, you are needed. More than perhaps we know."

 _ **Two years later**_

Much like two years before, she got the transmission from Helios in a rather unorthodox way. With Kunzite, he had sent it to her in a dream, and nothing had changed now- with the exception of the guardian she was calling on. When the queen of Uranus answered the call, a blond brow raised, the darker haired queen smirked. "You're up." She said simply.

"Which one am I going to be watching over, may I ask?" Hakura asked. Setsuna just smiled.

"Ask Helios. He'll tell you." She said simply. "He'll give you a cover, but you must come up with a reason… and, by the way, long-lost relative has already been taken." Hakura snorted, shoving her bangs out of her face.

"Of course, she took that one." She muttered. "Dammit, Saturn…" Setsuna laughed gently, as the woman sighed in frustration. "I'll think of something." She muttered, before ending the transmission. She stood, her deep, sapphire dress (something that she _still_ hated) moved with her. It was soon, she thought. Soon, she'd be able to see Michiru again, outside of their planets' interactions. It was getting annoying, meeting under the guise of interplanetary negotiations…

Not that she really had to, most of her subjects knew that she was smitten with the other woman. There were some, though, who did _not_ like this idea. She smirked at her reaction to one of her ranking officials speaking against it, and just _what_ she'd told the man to do, as she changed to her scout uniform. Now the ball was rolling, so to speak. She had a meeting with Helios to attend.

Upon arriving to Earth, or, rather, Elysion, she sought out the keeper of the golden crystal. The high priest was frowning at something he was reading, his eyes thoughtful and darkened with worry. "Helios." Hakura smirked as she watched him jump, blink and look wildly around for the person who'd interrupted his deep thoughts. He relaxed upon seeing the guardian and queen of Uranus.

"Hakura." He rose to greet her, Luna and Artemis by his side. She nodded to them, and turned back to Helios, cocking her head to the side.

"Tokyo Medical University Hospital. Look for the Lyall family." Helios drawled, eyes glinting with humor, his perpetually youthful face (that he shared with all of them… being all but immortal sure as hell had its perks….) had a smirk, and he pushed his silver hair out of his face.

"Lyall? That's oddly… not Japanese…" she muttered. Helios shook his head. "Father is a businessman on a trip here. He and his wife are British, actually."

She nodded, but she left. It took her a few minutes to get to the hospital, but she was surprised to find the waiting room outside the Lyall family nearly empty. In fact, there was only one other there, a young man… who was striking, to be sure, but looked cold. His calculating eyes narrowed on her. "Who are you?" he asked it with contempt.

She raised an eyebrow. If this Terran had a _clue_ of who she truly was, he wouldn't be so high and mighty. "Mr. Lyall, I presume?" she asked cheerfully (while trying not to bitch slap the prat). "I got a call earlier… about a babysitting gig?"

That must have done the trick, because he snorted. "Short work for my damn secretary. I don't have time for the child… and neither does my wife." And that sentence right there made her want to punch him through a wall. Didn't have _time_? Then _why_ did you have a kid? Her temper rose, but she smiled and hid it.

A talent she'd been working on for years… as a queen the particular skill was necessary for the survival of… those around her. She just shrugged. "Well, here I am. Though, I wasn't called by the secretary." She said dryly.

"Mr. Lyall?" the doctor came out, holding a child. He was dark haired, like his previous incarnations, she wondered what kind of man he'd grow into. However, she moved over to the child, as the father glared. "Ohayogozaimasu, little Nephrite…" she murmured. "I'm your aunt-" she ignored the snort behind her "Hakura." She finished."

" _Nephrite_?" Mr. Lyall sneered. She looked over at him. "Well, you or your wife have a name picked out?" that seemed to shut him up, and she smiled at the doctor. Thus, she became the guardian of the knight of Intelligence and Comfort.

And by Uranus, she would make _sure_ he grew up both intelligent and caring. No matter what his parents were like. The child, Nephrite Lyall, would be an actual human being- unlike his father. She sneered at the thought.

Two months later, she wondered at the stupidity of her idea. They- the family had had to move back to England- at least, Mrs. Lyall and, because of Nephrite, Hakura did. She'd been able to meet Hotaru and Kunzite once, though the two children seemed to bond quickly.

"Stay in touch." The queen of Saturn had told her. She smirked and nodded. "Of course." She replied.

 _ **One Year Later, Rome, Italy**_

 _ **March**_

The announcement in the Italian newspaper that Artemis had brought him made Helios smirk. " _Mr. Antonio Marrok and his wife, Mrs. Suzuki Marrok, nee, Chiba are pleased to welcome their son Endymion Marrok to the world. Endymion Marrok was born on Tuesday, the second of this month in Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Tokyo, Japan."_

Helios stopped reading after that, because he knew that meant the prince was back… though he wondered… did the fates tip into the same bloodline as Mamoru Chiba? There _were_ other Chiba clans in Japan, but… it was too big of a coincidence… not that it mattered… but it _may_ put an interesting spin on things if the boy turned out to be his own uncle…

 _ **Two years later**_

Once more, Helios sent word to her that another of the generals was to be born, he himself, was keeping an eye on the newest incarnation of Endymion. Once more, Pluto sent out word to a scout. The only one left was Michiru. Neptune's Queen had simply nodded and taken her leave to go and watch over Jadeite.

"Shall I plant the name on him, like his brothers?" she had asked teasingly. However, Pluto had given her the affirmative. After all, that made the most sense. It wasn't like they could have Endymion, Kunzite, Nephrite, José, and Zoisite (she, herself was already getting her own cover story ready. She'd conned the names of Zoisite's parents out of Helios a few years before they'd gotten _married_ and had become good friends with the pair. She now had quite a bit of sway with them.

Regardless, she sent out the other queen, who wound up going to the same hospital as the three other Terran guardians- or the prince and two of his guards- had been born already. She was keeping in touch with the other two- though one Hotaru had ended up going to Russia with little Kunzite, and Hakura was still in England.

Michiru wondered where she'd end up but pushed the thought out of her head. She walked boldly into the room, and introduced herself- much like her lover, she'd ended up being the caretaker of the child. Unlike Hakura, she'd actually gotten the job by applying.

She was good at reading people. She was able to- in the first minutes she'd met the woman who would be Jadeite's mother- tell that the woman was oddly sensitive to the supernatural that was going on around her. She'd told the other woman outright that, during her pregnancy, she'd had dreams- terrible dreams- about her child. The reason she'd been keen to hire a 'nanny' in the first place was to keep the child safe.

She'd already been planning on naming him Jadeite. Her name was Noelle Connolly, and she was from Ireland, in Japan as a student- she'd been married two years to her husband who'd come to Japan to visit for a few days about nine months ago. She was going back home with the child, and Michiru- ecstatic at the thought of being so close to Hakura, was all for moving with them.

She gifted the newborn child with the same protection spell she'd gotten all those years ago from Rei, and the darkness was again, kept at bay.

 _ **Four Months Later**_

She was already on Earth, visiting the parents of who would soon be Zoisite- she'd managed to talk the parents into the name, as well as taking a trip to her mansion in Tokyo- they were all too happy to do so, of course.

There was a reason, after all, that all four (five, if one counted Endymion) had been born in Tokyo. It was the place Elysia had reappeared the last time, the place where Endymion had been reborn the first time and had become the Neo-King of Earth beside Serenity.

It was _filled_ with leftover magic from Crystal Tokyo… though, this era was different. Elysion had- as all magical places do- moved. Right back to the _original_ place it had been. Elysion was back in Greece…. And soon, in only two years, their sisters would be reborn. Something would draw them together. She just wondered who would wake up first…

As she looked at the small, writhing baby in her arms (wriggling to get closer to her) she smiled. "Welcome to the world, little Zoisite. May your journey be better than the last few…" by all the gods, let them have their happy ending once more, she prayed.

* * *

 **Whoo, two chapters out so soon….**

 **Don't get used to that. I don't have a fixed update schedule. Never have… never will. Sorry. Anyway. The next chapter will be the Inner Senshi and Sailor Moon. Stay tuned. Thanks for the reviews! AOP out!**


	3. Rebirth Cycle II

**Part two of the rebirth cycle, and as I said, it's the girls' births. I've got them pretty spread out... and I'm** _still_ **trying to figure out how to maneuver them all in the same place- namely, Greece... the main story line takes place after the girls turn 18, so really, it shouldn't be hard... except for Sailor Mars, really. I already know how to get Mercury there, so that's...part of the battle.**

 **Also, I know some of the characters are OOC. To be fair, they're more than 900 years older than they were in the original series. People just don't stay the same. we're constantly changing and that's kind of what I'm trying to convey.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2- Rebirth Cycle II- The Princess and her Inner Senshi**_

 _ **Two Years Later, Tynda, Russia**_

 _ **May**_

Tatiana Romanov looked over at her husband in worry. She was already two weeks overdue to have their child, two weeks and two days. The young mother was terrified for her child- the doctor even said that they might have to do a caesarian section soon. Her husband touched her face, the warmth of his hand calmed her.

"The child will be fine, _milaya_." He murmured to her. "She will come out healthy and strong. You'll see." She just nodded. Nothing short of the child being born would stop the constant, nagging worry, and perhaps this was good.

After all, stress was supposed to start labor, right? At least, she thought it should… though, with the way _some_ people talked about it, you'd think it was like the hiccups. Trying to go into labor? They ask, well, why don't you scare yourself.

Because that would work. Tatiana snorted, though she felt no amusement. Though, she had to admit, Mikhail did, and hearing his booming, deep laughter, well, it made her feel better every time she was down. She smiled slightly as she soothed her large belly with gentle circles. "Come out, soon, little one," she crooned. "We're all waiting to meet you." Humming gently, she made her way- slowly- to the small window in their tiny house. Soon, she thought, they would have to move. It was far too small for a growing family.

She sat in her favorite chair by the window, a deeply cushioned thing that Mikhail had bought for her when the rocking chair could not hold her and the baby's weight and gazed out the window over the Russian field. It was May, now, so the snow was there, still, but the weather was warming. She noticed the dark clouds in the sky before the twinges in her stomach.

She frowned. "there's a storm blowing in," she murmured to herself, and just then, the small cramps that had been plaguing her for the last week shot up. She gasped, holding onto her stomach as the pain rolled through her. "Now?" she whispered, her heart beating fast.

She called for her husband, who was in the room in seconds, picking her up (something she'd always secretly thrilled at) and carried her outside to the car. "Hold on, _Milaya_ ," he said, his voice suddenly strained. "We'll make it before the storm."

"She has good timing, no?" she laughed gently, as she breathed through the next onset of cramps. "Right when a storm comes calling on us." Mikhail let out a strangled laugh with his wife as he sped towards the hospital.

They barely made it in time. She may have been late, but the child wanted _out_ , and she wanted out _now_. The labor took nearly twelve hours. The whole time, Mikhail paced outside the room, verdant eyes flashing everywhere. He heard his wife's scream and nearly broke the door down, uncaring of what the doctors and nurses might say.

Outside, the storm was in full swing, and he watched it, as it conveyed his turbulent thoughts quite nicely. God, all he wanted was his wife and child to be safe, but it seemed that the weather had other plans. The blackout terrified him.

Right up until he heard the gales of crying through the door. Not Tatiana, no. The cry was distinctly high pitched. The child was here. Finally. With a magnificent crash of lightning onto a nearby tree outside of the window.

When he heard his name called out, he turned, and they ushered him inside. There, on the bed lay his wife, and his daughter, who was wrapped in a pink blanket. She smiled tiredly at him, and he cried as he approached, the tiny bundle was passed to him, and though the thought of breaking her was paramount in his mind (she was so small, how could he not?), he cuddled the baby close to him.

Tatiana smiled, her gold eyes glistened. "What should we name her?" she rasped, and he laughed, shaking his head.

"I saw a bolt of thunder outside striking a tree- the exact moment that our daughter cried out for the first time." he told her. She smiled. "What about Tova? It means thunder." He smiled back and nodded. "That… is the perfect name for our little storm-cloud." He murmured, hugging her close.

Nestled inside the blankets, the baby opened up her cloudy blue-grey eyes. As if the name was known to her already, she let out a soft little coo that only the two adults heard. Miles away, in St. Petersburg, Hotaru dropped the cup she'd been about to hand to a seven-year-old Kunzite, who frowned in puzzlement and asked her if she was okay.

She stifled a tear and told him that she was happy because one of her sisters came back. He had been confused still but had smiled in that adorable way of his (that made her slightly worried for the females of the planet- and others- for when he grew old enough. He already knew he had charm, and using it was becoming second nature…), told her that he was happy for her.

In England, a five-year-old Nephrite Lyall frowned in confusion when an odd feeling that he'd never felt before made him warm. His little mind was still _far_ too young to grasp what this meant, but it made him feel happier. He blinked as his 'auntie'- as he called her- Hakura dropped the plate of cookies that she'd been bringing up from the kitchen. Her eyes filled with tears (an occurrence that he'd _never_ seen before, and this confused him) and she gasped. He didn't ask… but she told him anyway. "My sisters are coming back!" she whispered, hugging him.

In Ireland, Michiru let out a laugh between the tears, even with a very confused Jadeite tried to comfort her, until she told him she was not sad. Upon hearing this, he asked why she was crying if she wasn't sad, to which she answered, 'sometimes, when someone is really, _really_ happy, they cry, too.' And he nodded seriously, and tucked his chubby, downright _tiny_ two-year-old body in her lap. She laughed again and hugged him close.

In Japan, a peaceful smile overtook Setsuna's face as she rocked the toddler _she_ held. It was starting, she thought. Her sisters were back.

 _ **Kyoto, Japan**_

 _ **July of the same year**_

Anna-Maria Santos-Kumogi hummed as she tended to her chores, a shrine maiden's work was never done, it seemed, even if one was nine months pregnant to the day. She chuckled sardonically at the thought. Though she loved her life at the shrine that her husband's ancestors had kept, she sometimes longed for more…. Perhaps this was why she had come to Japan in the first place.

Then again, she had the help of her deceased husband's grandfather, and honestly, she was quite alright with that. She was content to spend her days at the shrine, if it meant her daughter would have a decent life, learning of her heritage from someone who knew it all too well.

That being said, perhaps he could help the child with… _other_ things as well. She knew full well her child would not be ordinary. They would have a harder time than most, if they let their emotions get the better of them… which meant, if the child was anything like their mother- a pale-skinned Latina with a passion and temper as hot as fire- well…. There was a reason she sought fit to live at a shrine.

She had converted for a reason, after all… not that her family had been all that religious to begin with… she winced and dropped the broom suddenly in pain. Calling for ojii-chan, she rushed for the bag she'd packed for the hospital. In minutes (having this planned out for some time, already), they were on the way to the hospital.

For nearly two days, she stayed there in labor, until finally, _finally_ , the child was born. A baby girl. She sobbed and let out a breath, as she kissed her daughter's forehead. "Ah, _mi miha_ …" she whispered as the tears came, "Finally, I've got you in my arms…"

She named the child Hestia- for the fires that she hoped would burn in her daughter, and, tired, _weak_ beyond all belief, she smiled and closed her eyes. She would never open them again.

In Ireland, the little boy with curly blond hair felt warm, suddenly. Warmer than when he drank hot chocolate too fast and it hurt his tummy. But, this didn't hurt. He wondered why. Actually, it made him happy. He giggled softly and continued playing with his blocks while his auntie brought in some scones she'd made.

 _ **Paris, France**_

 _ **October of the same year**_

Excitement rushed through Bijoux LeFevre as she was rushed into the hospital. Her husband stood having a conniption fit beside her, but she merely laughed. " _Mi amoure,_ stop worrying." She giggled. Even the pain from the labor wasn't enough to make her angry.

On the contrary, she felt _invigorated_ by it, for it was proof that she was about to be a _mother!_ What a thought! She'd never once considered this happening to her, not since coming to Paris all those years ago with her playwriting talent- she'd struggled for _years_ …

And now, here she was, a successful playwright, who'd married her true love- the composer to her plays. And now, they were having a baby! A precious baby boy or girl who would make everything still more beautiful for them. "Isn't this exciting, Remy?" she said breathlessly. He grinned at her even through his worry. "Oui, _mon Coeur_ , it truly is." He said it softly, as he kissed her head.

They let him stay- she insisted on it. When it was over, when their little girl was born, the two of them just looked at their daughter in awe. "We never thought of names…." Remy murmured in his wife's hair. Bijoux giggled. "You know me, though, Remy." She said softly. "I _always_ have names."

"And what will this one be?"

She smiled at her husband. "Thisbe…. A name of love and joy." She whispered. Remy chuckled. "And so shall it be, my love." He said softly.

Seven-year-old Kunzite Volkov looked up from his crayons and paper, a slight frown on his face. His mother and his aunt both looked over from their conversation. "Kunz, are you okay?" his mother asked, smiling as she walked over to him. He nodded slowly.

"I feel warm." His words were slow- as if he were tasting them before they left his mouth. "Like I drank hot coco." His blue-grey eyes glinted with curiosity, as he looked at his aunt, who seemed to always know what was going on. Kira cocked her head to the side as Hotaru just smiled. "They say that when that happens, your soulmate is born somewhere in the world." The woman said with a sly smirk.

Immediately, the seven-year-old's face twisted in childish disgust. " _Ew_. That's _gross_ , aunt 'Taru!" he gagged. The sailor scout burst out laughing, as she winked at him.

 _ **Elysia- located outside of Thebes, Greece**_

Artemis let out a soft meow, startling his mate, who was in the middle of her catnap, his green eyes were glinting with excitement. "It's time, Luna.." he said, as he rubbed up against her. She purred, pressing her head into her side. "I must go now."

Lazy deep red eyes peered at him and she smiled, "Where are you headed, my love?" She asked gently, knowing that it could be rather far, but happy all the same. If he was going, that meant that Sailor Venus had been born. He answered almost immediately.

"Paris, France." She chuckled.

"Talk about _perfect_. The city of Love…" he laughed with her, and she licked his cheek in farewell. "Until we meet again," she purred.

It took him two weeks to get there, even with magic. By the time he was there, crawling in the window, and slipping into the crib with the small, towheaded baby, he was exhausted. But, not enough to greet his sleeping mistress.

"Greetings, Lady Venus. I'm here to help you."

In her sleep, the baby giggled, cuddling into the cat. In the morning, when Bijoux and Remy walked into the room, they smiled in joy as they saw the child with the cat. Then and there, they decided to keep him.

 _ **New York City, United States of America**_

 _ **December of the same year**_

The blue-haired woman panted with exertion. Finally, after _fourteen_ fun-filled hours, it was done. She was a mother. Miranda Barker held out her hands to hold her daughter for the first time, cooing as she did so. The small, pink bundle made cooing sound of her own, no longer crying as she had been the first two minutes of her life. There was blue fuzz on her head- hair that she'd obviously inherited from her mother (much to the surprise of the others in the hospital. They had thought it dyed. The joke was on them, Miranda grinned at the thought). the child was as refreshing as water. She didn't know what to name her, though. She hadn't really thought that through. She frowned. What was that name she'd read not long ago?

Anahita. It meant something about water… oh, well, it was pretty, anyway. The only thing that she could think of at the time. Not many would use it...

So, when the doctor handed her the birth certificate, she smiled and signed the name that she'd thought up on the fly. Anahita Barker. It had a nice ring to it, if she did say so herself. She smiled, looking into those large, blue-grey eyes and blinked.

Those eyes- that still could not see, were filled with a quiet intelligence that Miranda had never seen. The water in her cup seemed to be lapping at the lip of the cup- to get in proximity with her daughter, no less. Quickly, she drank the cup, hoping that no one had seen the odd event.

In the small Ukrainian village that his parents called home, Zoisite Siryvovk - who, at two years old, was already starting to read, looked up from his book as warmth spread through him. He frowned as he looked around the room, wondering if someone had turned up the temperature. He shrugged and went back to his book.

His 'auntie' smirked as she watched him. She didn't know for sure, but, from what the others had told her, he'd felt Mercury's birth. She chuckled gently as she watched him go back to reading. She decided that she should go check on her sisters as well.

After all, she couldn't leave them in the dark either.

 _ **Thebes, Greece**_

 _ **January of the next year**_

The blond woman gasped as she looked at the child that she'd just birthed. Just before midnight, on the full moon. The baby seemed radiant in the light. She murmured in Greek as the nursemaid washed the baby and did the necessary things, finally wrapping her up in a blanket and handing her to Nicoletta Drakos, who cried upon seeing her new daughter.

Instantly the baby giggled at the feel of her mother and father's warmth, cooing as the two held her. "She smiles… that's odd, isn't it?" she looked at her husband who seemed as confused as her. "I don't know…"

"She shines as bright as the moon." The nursemaid said in awe. "Like Selene has blessed her." The parents looked at the woman, and both grinned. "That is the perfect name for her." Her mother murmured. "Selene…"

"My love, are you sure?" The woman chuckled. "Honestly, at first I was thinking Serenity… but I like Selene better." She said. "Somehow, I feel that she needs the extra mystique of the name." she laughed once more. "Especially if she grows to be anything like me…" she giggled again, her infectious laughter made her husband grin.

"She's special, Darius." She said to her husband, and though her eyes still glittered, she was serious. "Do you feel it?" Her baby girl was different. There was something about her that… well, Nicoletta would worry about that later… for now, she'd take it a day at a time and enjoy the child she'd been blessed with. Hopefully, the odd sense of worry would leave.

 _ **Tokyo, Japan**_

Endymion Marrok looked up from his building blocks with a confused frown. His tummy felt warm, and the four-year-old didn't know what that could mean. It made him feel like he was being tickled, a little. He looked over at his mother who smiled at him and came over to play with him.

He didn't think it was a bad feeling…. Just different. He heard his father chuckle as he, too joined in on the fun with the blocks.

 _ **Elysia, around the same time**_

Artemis had already taken his leave months before, headed to France, if she remembered correctly. Now, it was time for _her_ to go. She smiled and bade Helios goodbye before she started on her journey… Helios had told her to go to Thebes… not far away, ironically.

It was where this _whole_ mess had started in the first place- or, at least, the mess with reincarnation to fix past mistakes. In fact, Elysia had reappeared _in_ Thebes… just like it had been all those years ago, when Serenity (then) would sneak from the Moon down to Earth to see the Terran prince, or vice-versa.

The inner _Senshi_ had had such a hard time keeping tabs on her… until they, themselves, fell in love with the four _Shitennou_ that served under Prince Endymion. _And look how well_ that _turned out, hm?_ A part of her wanted to keep _this_ princess out of the whole thing… she knew that if she did, then _this_ Serenity would be safe, and happy, and perhaps, even live longer than a mere twenty-two years this time.

She sighed but continued her way. She wasn't far out of the city's edge, and she found navigating the ancient city rather easy. She didn't have a scent trail to follow… but, thanks to Helios, she knew where she was going. Slipping into the window, she found the cradle that held the infant princess and smiled when she found the child wide awake, pale blue eyes on her, gurgling happily.

She chuckled gently. "Well, does your mommy know you're awake?" she asked softly, as she jumped down from the window pane and over to her. A soft squeal came from the baby, as she did so. "I bet you give your mommy and daddy a bunch of trouble, little one… I see you're a night owl…"

Unlike Usagi, who had been incredibly sleepy all the time! she smiled sadly as she remembered, wondering if the child would grow into that habit. She curled herself up by the cradle, purring gently, soothing the child to sleep.

When Nicoletta came in the next morning, she was surprised to see the cat, but she decided that every child needed a pet to play with. With that, she smiled and picked the little Selene up out of her crib. The feline stretched and followed the two out of the room. When Nicoletta noticed that the cat had a crescent shaped marking on her head, she laughed and named her Luna.

* * *

 **Yeah... still can't make every family great. Don't worry too much about baby Mars... her grandpa's pretty great, and yes, I did keep the shrine a thing. Couldn't help it.**

 **Anyway, R &R. Thanks for reading.**

 **AOP out!**


	4. Development Cycle I

13

 **Okay, so, lots of stuff going on in this one… next chapter's gonna be the girls. And, to answer a question in my reviews: Yes. The girls' birth months were on purpose. Their birth months are supposed to coincide with the fact that their home planets are** _ **supposed**_ **to be brighter in the night sky…. But that was according to Google, and Google can sometimes be** _ **wrong**_ **, but I'm not changing it, so yeah.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3- Development Cycle I- The Prince and his Generals.**_

 _ **Memento Mori**_

 _(Remember Death)_

 _Japanese Embassy Building, Six Years Later_

Kunzite was curious to meet the other kid he'd heard was in the embassy, but he hadn't known that the other was so much younger than him! Three years younger. He was ten. And he thought that he'd have someone his age to hang out with. He tried to hide the disappointment as he heard his mother and aunt talk but couldn't quite manage it.

Smiling gently, Aunt Hotaru walked over to him. "You know, you don't _have_ to stay with him, but it'd be nice for you to have someone around- that _isn't_ an adult, right?" she asked him. He sighed. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that he would have to make sure the other kid stayed out of trouble, and that just wasn't something he wanted to do.

But, if it would make his mother and aunt happy…. Then he'd do it. "I guess you're right." He mumbled. Hotaru smiled at him and whispered in his ear. "You'll be rewarded for the sacrifice, Kunz. I promise." At this, he perked up. Rewards were usually pastries- and he had a sweet tooth. He nodded and followed her to the other room.

There, the other kid sat, quietly reading a book, though Kunzite also saw other things, as well. Squaring his shoulders, he walked over to him…. And about two feet away, stopped dead in his tracks. Silver-blue eyes widened in his face as he felt the lightning pass through him.

He _knew_ this boy.

But that couldn't be right; he'd never even met this kid before. With more caution, he continued his approach, until the dark-haired boy looked up. His eyes were deep blue and filled with curiosity. A smile came to the child's face and he held out a hand to the older boy.

"Hi." He said. "My name's Endymion Marrok. You can call me Dymion or Endy, though." He said. Kunzite nodded, his throat dry as he took the hand offered, and shook it. An odd occurrence, to be sure, from a thirteen-year-old and a ten-year-old, but… well… it didn't feel odd. It felt familiar. "My name's Kunzite." He said softly. "Kunzite Volkov." The younger boy smiled. "Can I call you Kunz?" he asked.

Immediately, Kunzite felt something. Something inside of him that urged him to protect this kid- something that, only minutes earlier, he didn't even want to do- but that didn't matter now. Whenever he could, he'd be there, making sure Endymion was safe.

In the corner of the room, Hotaru watched the exchange between the two children with a secret smile on her face. The pull between the prince and his _Shitennou_ was…. astounding, if it took hold at such a young age. Much like, she thought idly, the pull between the princess and the _Senshi_. She had a feeling that the bond would help later…

Metalia's strength was growing. The galaxy eater was gaining power faster than any of them thought she would. She could possibly find someone like Beryl again to do her bidding… she _was_ after all, still incredibly weak and in need of a fast way to gain strength… like she had done hundreds of years ago… in Tokyo. Far before Setsuna or the other outer _Senshi_ had even _met_ Usagi- or Sailor moon… or well, whatever name she went by, now. She'd have to get in touch with Luna about that. It wouldn't do for her to _not_ know her princess' name, after all. She chuckled at the thought.

She'd have to get the two boys to meet the others... soon. Perhaps a playdate when they were around. A visit with her sisters, perhaps? But… there was the matter of little Endymion… she frowned as she tried to think of a way that she could arrange that…

Well, that was until she heard the conversation between Mrs. Volkov and Mrs. Marrok. "They seem to be getting along quite nicely, don't you think?" the wife of the Emissary giggled to the other Japanese woman. Kira Volkov grinned at Suzuki Marrok as she nodded in agreement.

"Yes. We should do this more often." They had only met days before, and already, they were good friends. This was perfect. She smiled at the two women. "Funny, I was thinking the same… I have a few friends- we all go _way_ back. They have the same job as me, really, and the three other boys are around the same age group as Endymion and Kunzite. Perhaps I could set something up? It's been ages since I've seen them…. And one of them is only two years younger than Kunzite."

The suggestion went well with the other two woman who seemed rather pleased with the idea. "When can you set a date?" Kira asked, as she clapped her hands in excitement, her brown eyes light with happiness.

Hotaru shrugged. "Soon. I don't know when- or if- they'll be in the country, next." She said, pondering the idea. Setsuna would probably call her in the next few minutes, knowing her- her cell phone rang. She smirked and picked it up.

"Hello?" she asked, using Japanese.

"We'll be in Japan next week." Setsuna told her. "Zoisite's parents decided to take a _fourth_ honeymoon, so they left him with me." Hotaru's dark eyebrow shot up… _fourth_? How did _that_ work…? Shaking her head, she decided that she _really_ didn't want to know. Instead, she changed the subject

"What about the others? I assume you called them?" Hotaru asked, grinning at the fact that she was right. "Hakura and Michiru were delighted to hear about it. Michiru said she'd be there within the next week with Jadeite as well, and Hakura's planning on the same time."

"See you then." The queen of Saturn smirked as she hung up and turned to the other two women. "That… was one of the friends I was telling you about. She's told me that all three of them will be coming to Japan next week, and they're going to be bringing their charges." She informed them, causing Kira to squeal.

 _ **A Week Later, Hotaru's House**_

It was good to see them again, after so long- well, okay, thirteen years wasn't so long, and they _had_ gone longer during the years they'd waited for their comrades-at-arms to be reborn- but, this was different.

Michiru looked radiant as she ran up to hug her- something uncommon for the usually reserved woman to do with anyone _other_ than Hakura- who'd greeted them the same way. three out of five of the mothers were present, and when they asked where Nephrite's parents were, all they got was a stiff, annoyed frown from the blond woman who'd been put in charge the eleven-year- old boy who (though he tried to hide it) clung to her side for the first few minutes.

Not wanting to pry (knowing Hakura, that wouldn't end well), the others kept silent. She supposed not all of them would have the perfect families…. And really, none of them did. The nervous Irishwoman who'd been introduced as Jadeite's mother was a bit _overly_ protective of the child- despite the fact (though she had no way of knowing this) that the boy was surrounded by celestial warriors who were well versed in combat. Zoisite's parents- while they loved their child dearly, were always on another business or pleasure trip, leaving the small, sweet-tempered child with his honorary aunt- which periodically annoyed the woman- if only because they didn't spend time with their own child.

However, the four scouts tuned out the conversation to watch the children. After the initial meet-and-greet between the boys, Nephrite wandered over to them, plainly curious about the others. After a while he seemed to relax around them, they all started talking. The tallest was, at the moment, the silver-haired Kunzite, who had met Endymion first, a few months prior, and was plainly protective of him, wary of the other three.

He, like Nephrite, seemed to relax as time went on.

It was interesting to watch, this friendship of theirs. The mothers (the ones present, anyway) were well pleased with the idea of a repeat of this every once in a while- especially since it looked like the children were getting along so well. They exchanged looks.

For years, they'd been telling their charges the stories of their pasts. Of course, it was told like fairy tales… and they knew their charges didn't _quite_ believe them- especially Kunzite, and they'd already started combat training among other things- starting from the age of three (as they had been trained as Sailor Scouts in the Silver Millennia). They were all _very_ apt students, even the two youngest… and Endymion, who, since he was so often in Japan rather than his father's homeland of Italy, usually could be found where Kunzite was, so Hotaru ended up teaching him, as well, which turned out to be a good thing.

Hotaru wondered how she was going to get him to believe the stories she was telling him in between teaching him battle tactics, fencing… without the belief, he wouldn't be able to unlock his hidden powers- at least, not according to Helios (she'd introduced him years earlier as another friend), who'd been working with all of them as well.

Endymion was turning out to be a thoughtful young man… even while he showed endless patience, he also showed to be quick thinking in a fight- and his parents were grateful to Hotaru for teaching him- at least he would be able to protect himself should he loose the bodyguards (that he and Kunzite continuously slipped away from… they seemed to glory in that particular activity) that were supposed to stay with them.

As the years past, they taught the young men all they needed- they tracked down their sisters once in a while, to make sure the newest generation of the inner senshi were doing all right, and they got continuous updates from Luna about little Selene- who was their new princess.

Because Luna had found her in infancy, she had awakened rather earlier than they expected. All except…. Her relationship with Endymion. That, Helios had told them, was different, but her memories as Usagi, Serena, and Serenity were all but intact. She knew _who_ she was, and Luna was training her. Over the years, the other four Senshi all went to Greece once or twice to assist in training the child.

But they never let their boys (as they liked to call them- after all, they'd helped raise them) meet the girl…. Or even know of the girl's presence.

To do so may trigger memories that were best kept under wraps- at least for now. _Those_ were things that they needed to handle themselves.

So, they waited… and they watched. They watched as their boys grew into men (or, well, mostly), they watched them fall in and out of love, and they watched them turn into the warriors they were meant to be- without even knowing it. They watched as the five of them forged a bond that made them more like brothers than friends.

And, when the youngest of them- Zoisite and Jadeite- turned eighteen, Helios asked the outer Senshi who'd been watching over them to bring them to him. He would awaken their memories. Zoisite's incredulous frown was something that his 'godmother' had learned long ago to ignore as she dragged him toward Elysion, even as he protested that entrance exams were coming up and he needed to study for them… especially if he wanted to get into Tokyo University's Computer Engineering and Astrophysics programs- to which Setsuna had been forced to reminded him that that had been _months_ ago, and he'd already been accepted into both programs.

Jadeite and Nephrite were amiable enough to coerce into visiting Helios. Nephrite had always been quiet, and was studying Philosophy, history, and minoring in mythology, so… he was actually interested in what Helios had to say, while Jadeite had been very astute in realizing that _neither his godmother nor her 'sisters' ever aged_... he figured this, just maybe, _might_ have something to do with it.

Endymion was cheerful as he accompanied them, open minded as always, even as he was in his second year at Tokyo University for medicine, he'd found time (and cajoled Zoisite farther) to go as well. The biggest problem they'd had was Kunzite.

He'd decided against going his father's rout and becoming a member of the Russian Embassy, and had instead, opted to be in law enforcement. A job he was good at… and he was _always busy._ Somehow, though (through even _more_ threat and more coercion) Hotaru managed to get her godson away from what he was doing, to, quote, "Come and visit me, dammit!"

He complied, though he couldn't understand why he'd had to go _all the way to Greece_ \- like a little vacation from the scum on the streets of Russia (or whatever it was he was doing… she _really_ wasn't too keen on figuring that out) was a _bad_ thing. When he arrived and saw the others gathered there, he perked up. There were few things he enjoyed more than seeing his brothers.

Even if he complained endlessly about them driving him up the wall. While he was still skeptical about the whole thing, he complied… what else was there to do, when your honorary aunt asked you to? Endymion smiled wryly at the comment, as Zoisite let out a scoff.

The four women led the way into stone passage that appeared in the cliff wall, a place no one would see unless looking for it, the eldest man thought with interest. It was completely hidden by the elements… almost purposely.

He didn't dwell on that long, though. He couldn't…. because soon, the passageway opened up into what could only be described as a… paradise. He actually couldn't rationalize how the _hell_ a palace this size could really fit inside the cliff, let alone the guarded of what looked like Eden. He cast a confused look over to Hotaru, who just smiled and shrugged. "I told you about this place." She told him dryly. "It isn't my fault that you chose not to believe it. _This_ is Elysion." She motioned to the place behind her with a smirk.

It was a second before he realized that he'd seen this place before… in his dreams as a child- and even more lately as a grown man. He'd dream of walking through the halls of the great, stone buildings, wearing, oddly enough, a uniform, with a sword at his side.

He remembered sparring with Nephrite and the others- including Endymion. Then, there was the other part of the dream. _Her_. He'd dubbed her Aphrodite, and he could never quite remember her features- other than long, silky hair the color of spun gold, and deep, indigo eyes. And then he'd wake up, panting and sweating….

Because the dream always ended with blood being spilt, and those indigo eyes that he couldn't stop thinking about going dim and empty.

Beside him, thinking much the same things, Nephrite observed. He'd remembered this place as well- hadn't thought it existed outside his unconscious mind- but remembered it just the same. The architecture that the Greeks and Romans were known for was perfectly untouched and just as ancient- if not more so than the ruins littered across the country.

Like Kunzite, he'd seen the place in dreams as well. He'd seen himself walking through- looking much like he did, now, laughing and fighting with his brothers. Like Kunzite, he also dreamed of a woman. A woman with wavy auburn hair and brilliant green eyes. He remembered sparring her as well in this place…

He remembered her death, as well… though he did not know who-or what- caused it. He could not remember that. He could only remember the blood. There was much from his dreams that he couldn't remember…. And he could only wonder if that was a sign.

Jadeite just frowned as he touched one of the support columns of part of the building. His dreams of this place were hazy. Remembered, but not quite. As if seen through a veil and overshadowed. He did not know if this was because of sheer forgetfulness, or because he truly didn't _want_ to remember the dreams- if they _were_ dreams, which he was seriously starting to doubt….

Zoisite, just wanting to get the whole thing over with, just trudged forward, muttering under his breath. He continued on like this until Endymion put a hand on his shoulder. "Cool it, Zoi." He murmured. Knowing Zoisite as he did, he realized that there were times where the dirty-blond haired man obsessed over things. It wasn't often, and it was usually something that he found interesting, but it happened, and school- at this point- was one of those things. He felt his green eyes narrow in annoyance, but he took a breath. Endymion was right, after all. There was _no_ point in being an ass.

After the annoyance died down, he took a second to look around. Like the others, he'd had dreams. Dreams of laughter and happiness, and blood and death. Though vague, and sometimes fuzzy, he remembered. Being cursed with a photographic memory, Zoisite did not forget his dreams. As a child, they'd terrified him… so he'd locked them up in adulthood.

The most prominent things he remembered were… the color Blue- and not dark blue, this was the very definition of royal blue, vibrant and the same color as the ocean, blue, the impression of love. The second thing was… chaos. He couldn't describe it as anything else. Dark and deep, terrifying and evil. It had woken him many times. It was like something overtook his mind, and he didn't know what to do about that.

He didn't want to go into the main building, even though he knew he'd have to. Unreasonable fear surged into the forefront of his mind, even as he forced himself to keep walking. He didn't know if the others felt the same- though from the looks on their faces (except Kunzite, who was a _master_ at controlling his expressions), which ranged from trepidation to utter confusion- each of them felt a level of worry.

At the entrance of the main hall, the young man (who hadn't aged since any of them had known him) waved at them. So, this was where Helios lived… Endymion was the first to step forward, grinning as he greeted the other man- who now looked younger than most of them.

"Helios… nice to see you again." He said cheerfully (Zoisite didn't know how he did it; full-time second-year college student in the Med program…. How was he _not_ tired beyond all belief?), but the twenty-year-old was just completely… _Endymion_. He rolled his eyes.

Helios, however, was not smiling. He sighed as he looked at the five of them. "Well, now's as good a time as any…" he looked worried, to be honest, before he addressed all of them. "Time is of the essence, now. Soon, the others will awaken… _you_ need to be ready before that time." he said. "Because trust me, what you will see… what has been wrought in the past… it's not pretty. You'll need some time to acclimate yourselves… in many ways."

He sounded almost forlorn, Endymion thought with a frown, not bothering to try and decipher what his words could possibly mean. He had a feeling he was about to find out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kunzite frown a bit, thoughtful. "What do you mean?" he asked the man.

Helios shook his head. "You're about to find out, Kunzite." He replied. "First, I can't throw you to the wolves with this, so I'll tell you right now… those stories that your aunts told you? They weren't quite stories. They were very real, at least the events that happened." He paused, pursing his lips before he continued.

"Eons ago, there was a time where humans knew they weren't alone. The first known recording of this time was in the mythos of the ancient civilizations. Specifically, the Greek and Roman Pantheons. During this time, Prince Endymion ruled." At this, five sets of eyebrows shot up.

There was silence for a few moments until Jadeite- always the one who saw the humor in everything, burst out laughing. "Dymion? A prince?" he snickered. " _That_ fits _way_ too well!" to be honest, he was right. Even Kunzite and Nephrite- the more serious of their group- cracked grins at that. Endymion, for his part rolled his deep blue eyes, before turning back to Helios. He waited before Jadeite's laughter finally dissipated before he spoke.

"Go on," the young man said. Helios chuckled himself a bit before continuing. "At his side were his general. Zoisite, Kunzite, Nephrite, and Jadeite. They were his top generals." His eyebrow raised at Jadeite, who was grinning, but mimed zipping his mouth shut. Zoisite snorted quietly, his true nature slipping out a bit as his green eyes danced with mischief.

At the moment, Hotaru thought, exchanging glances with Michiru, Hakura, and Setsuna, their charges thought that Helios was just kidding… or delusional. Either way, they stayed silent. When the time came, they'd know the truth was right in front of them.

"Earth was in what was called the golden age, named after the golden crystal- known as the core. Endymion was the keeper of this gem. His generals were tied to it as well, through him. No one knows how that… phenomenon came to be, only that because of it, the keeper of the Crystal would always have his four knights."

"You're telling us that… _we're_ these people, aren't you?" Jadeite asked, speaking the words they were all thinking.

Helios sighed heavily. "Yes… but there's much more to the story than that, Jadeite. You are not merely the _new_ holder of the crystal and his guardians." He said, though he seemed more troubled as he went on. "Though that is how it was supposed to occur, something… changed."

"The Earth was in tentative negotiations with the Queendom of the moon, the closest civilized planetary body to us, at the time. The king, Kronos, was debating on becoming part of what was called the 'Silver Alliance', which was a galaxy-wide alliance that- at that point, consisted of Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the Moon."

"So… everyone besides Earth, then?" Nephrite murmured. "Who was weary of it, simply because humans aren't too big on change, right?"

"Well," Helios pondered this before answering. "Yes and no. That wasn't the only reason. Distrust of the Lunarian council was a big thing, as well. See, The Silver Alliance had been the Moon Queen's idea… to keep the universe safe from outside attacks, therefore, the queen herself was the leader of the alliance. This caused unrest among Earth, some of whom, even though the queendom showed no signs of such a thing, thought that they would eventually try to invade Earth."

Kunzite frowned. "Seems a tad extreme." He said. Helios shook his head. "Yes. Those were my sentiments." He muttered. Kunzite's eyebrow shot up again at his choice of words but figured that he shouldn't comment.

"When Kronos died, Endymion succeeded the throne, with his four knights, and opened negotiations further. It was around this time… that he met the Lunar Princess." He smirked now, raising his own brow at the young men in front of him. "And that's when- as Jadeite would put it, Shit started going to hell in a handbasket."

Jadeite blinked. "While that _may_ be something I'd say, what does _that_ Endymion meeting the princess have to do with whatever shit was going sideways?" he asked. Helios laughed darkly.

"They fell in love." He stated bluntly. "The Lunar Princess with the Terran Prince. Of course, back then, it was… seriously taboo for them to do so. Interplanetary relationships were strictly forbidden. This… made a serious problem. They kept it a secret- or tried to, anyway. However…"

"His generals found out." Kunzite said dryly. "Didn't they?"

"They couldn't stop him from going to the moon to see her… any more than _her_ guardians could stop _her_ from slipping off to the earth to see him." This came not from Helios, but from Michiru. Beside her, Hakura snorted, shaking her head.

This confused Endymion. "Okay… what's this have anything to do with us?" he asked finally. "I mean… it's a great story, and all, but…"

Helios snorted. "Not done with the story yet, Endymion. The people of Earth found out and a war broke out. Total chaos. What ended up happening was that the other Endymion died, the generals were brainwashed into betraying him against their will, the princess' guardians were killed in the struggle, and the princess of the moon, herself, then committed suicide because she couldn't bear to live without the prince." He finished. "That… is the short version… that also cuts down on some of the other nasty details."

"What a… _happy_ ending." Nephrite muttered, as Zoisite and Jadeite winced. Kunzite was as impassive as always, while the two youngest just looked horrified. "why are you telling us this?"

"Because that's the oldest part of the story. Eons after that, all of them were reborn on earth. Endymion, his generals, the lunar princess and her senshi. Unfortunately, that… didn't go well, either. The generals were still suffering from the mind-control that had affected them in their past life. Once more, they were forced into servitude by Beryl to fight against their prince, and they died doing that. The Prince himself, and the Lunar princess both managed to survive that, as well as the Senshi… and many other evils besides that. But then, then the first evil returned…. And it was so much stronger than the last time. They all perished again. Only seven of us survived- four of the eight senshi, and the three guardians."

"Didn't you say that the _Shitennou_ were already dead?" Kunzite asked. Helios shrugged. "Well… their bodies were no more… but their spirits- finally free from corruption- were trapped in the gemstones that bared their names." He replied.

"We had enough power to seal the evil bitch away… but not for long…" Hakura snarled, her fists clenching. The five men turned to look at the woman. "Wait… what?" Zoisite gaped at them. "You?"

The four women nodded and transformed into their sailor scout uniforms. "We are the guardians of Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn." Setsuna said gently. "We are charged with protecting the outer reaches of our universe from attack… but we missed one of them... the result was… devastating."

Endymion was the next to speak. "We're reincarnations of the originals, aren't we? From the golden age?" Helios smirked. "Yes. You are." He said.

At those words…. He lifted his hand and waved it in a movement that seemed to bring wind forth. It surrounded each of them, but, curiously, did not touch anything else. The outer Senshi watched on, worry on their faces as whatever Helios had done started to take effect.

Endymion was the first that the wind finished, with. He had gone to his knees. It took him a minute of gasping for breath before he was able to right himself, dark blue eyes guarded now, where they hadn't been before. He watched as the others- men that he considered his brothers- went through the same thing, though now, he watched with trepidation.

Would they be the same? His memories- well, there were blanks- especially in the last life that Helios and the aunts had mentioned… but he remembered _well_ what happened during the Silver Millennium.

Kunzite felt like he'd been dropped through the rabbit hole. Right into his own personal hell. He watched as he fought his own prince in a battle he should never have fought against him in. He saw himself fighting against another woman- dressed similarly to his godmother and her heart-sisters- and he saw her die at his hands. He saw himself, in another life, doing the _same damn thing_ , and (thankfully) loosing.

He saw the horrible things he'd done to innocent people, and he felt sickened with himself as he watched the slideshow of his lives. When it was done, he didn't know what to do. What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn't atone for what he'd done.

"Stop." He looked over at the prince. His dark blue eyes were calm, and he seemed completely unchanged. "I know what you're thinking and stop it, Kunzite." The silver-haired man started to shake his head, but Endymion put a hand up to stop him.

"You want to repent? I'll remind you that _I_ fell, as well. _I_ was taken over by Metalia and Beryl. Maybe not as long, but it's…. _scarring_ to know the things I did …" he choked up, and then continued. "If you want to repent, be my friend and general again."

All Kunzite could do was nod… but a small voice in the back of his head sounded…. _Will_ she _forgive me so easily?_ For the life of him, he could not figure out who 'she' was… but he had a feeling he'd find out.

Nephrite was the second to recover- though, much like Kunzite he was disgusted with himself. How could he have fallen so far? He wanted to ask himself. And for what? The word of a woman that he'd _known_ was twisted? Or was it because that's what the stars had told him was fated to happen?

He'd _killed_ people- _hundreds_ of people for the gain of a being that was trying to absorb their universe… turned his back as a benevolent protector and had become a _murderer._ The only thing that kept him _sane_ was that he'd been punished for his crimes. He'd been killed twice (though that, in his estimate, was not _nearly_ enough recompense for the many that he'd murdered) and he'd been stripped of his body for a time (not long enough).

He felt tears fall down his face for the many that had suffered at his hands, those whose very _lives_ he'd drained.

He'd looked up at the stars in all his lives, pondering their meanings, sometimes getting answers that he had not sought, nor wanted. He'd never questioned or tried to change the fate that was shown to him… never to do what he'd wanted to do…

He looked at Endymion and backed away. The darker haired man shook his head. "Neph. Don't." he said it softly. "I need your help to make it right." The words held persuasion behind them. Nephrite frowned.

"You know that's never worked on me." He said it quietly. It hadn't. Not in the Golden Kingdom, not in the fledgling Crystal Kingdom. It had worked on others, that tone of voice, and it had caused many to see Endymion's reasoning when push came to shove.

It hadn't ever worked on his Shitennou. The four generals were immune. This was in part because they- unlike many other humans- had the ability to utilize the energy of the Earth just as easily as Endymion, if not as powerfully. Endymion was the conduit for the Golden Crystal of the Earth, but the Shitennou had the ability to utilize it as well.

Endymion rolled his eyes. "You want to make it right. So do it. Work with me on this."

"I betrayed you… got you _killed_."

"I was killed the first time by Beryl's machinations. You and the others had little to do with that- you were pawns in the grand scheme. Very high-powered pawns, but none the less. You betrayed me because _Metalia_ bewitched you through Beryl. I saw you fight against it during our second life... hell, even in your first life, you fought it. The second time I was murdered outright my Metalia."

"And I did nothing… not even with what little I could do." Nephrite snarled bitterly. He'd been busy with something else… something that was on the tip of his memory, but that made his head ache, and that, in turn, pissed him off more, so he let the dredges of the memory that did not return go before he glared at his prince. "I was doing something else that I deemed more important." He hissed.

"And in time, I'm sure we'll find out why. In the _meantime_ , I need you here. With me and Kunzite. _We_ need to stick together… all five of us."

Still shaking with utter rage, Nephrite nodded. He glanced at Kunzite, who looked- if possible- more impassive than before. Nephrite frowned before turning his attention to the two who were still on the floor, being swamped with their memories.

 _Make it right?_ He wondered, _how could I_ possibly _make this right? I couldn't even stop myself from murdering her…_ he frowned at the thought that his subconscious just let out. A flash of green eyes shaded by hair that was more red than brown entered his psyche.

Frowning, he looked back at his brother. "Fine." He whispered.

A few feet away, Jadeite's eyes opened. The blonde looked disoriented, when he seemed to focus on the others, he looked shocked. "I… what?" he whispered, his voice broken. "What… did I _do?"_ he choked.

"Nothing you had control over." Endymion frowned, his darker blue eyes were focused on Jadeite's lighter blue eyes, as the younger man leaned against one of the columns, head back, arm resting on his knee, one hand in his hair.

Jadeite shook his head, frowning. "No… you don't understand." He shook. "I was… _aware,_ Endymion." He backed away. "I was _aware_ of _exactly_ what was going on. I couldn't control my own body that fist time. the second time, I was… in a state of sleep in my own mind, but I woke up once or twice… and the same thing was happening." His face was pained. " _Twice_ , Endymion, we betrayed you…"

"As you said yourself, you had no control."

"You don't understand, I _let_ her do it the first time." he whispered. "I _let_ her into my mind… I…"

"Why?" Endymion raised an eyebrow. "Why did you let her take over?"

Jadeite shook his head. "I… I don't…" he couldn't seem to get the memory back. "I don't know _why_ I did... but I let her take control with the promise…. The promise of what?" he muttered that last question, his eyes narrowed, and his frown deepened, he ran his hand through his curly blonde hair in agitation. "Why would I let her…?"

What do you do, Zoisite wondered, when your world crashes down around your ears? He watched in abstract horror as _he_ and Kunzite orchestrated the death of one of their best friends.

They _all_ may have turned against Endymion, but it had been directly caused by Kunzite and himself- _their_ plans… put into action. _Their_ machinations. Their prince… hadn't been the only one they had killed.

It was with disgust that he watched himself fight- and _murder -_ the blue haired warrior princess, watched as she died in his grasp, bloody hole blown through her chest- a hole created by _his_ abilities…. He watched as his _other_ self gained clarity seconds after she passed, where he'd promptly- and in what looked like great despair- promptly drew his own sword and stabbed himself.

His next nightmare detailed himself in another life. This time, he did not know the beguiling blue-haired woman he'd strategized against- did not meet her again (for she looked exactly the same as she had in the other world).

In this life, she'd _hated_ him, or at least, she'd seen him as an enemy from the start. He's awakened from his captivity at the hands of Beryl and Metalia and had died for it… but even that hadn't been enough to pay for all the lives he'd taken- all the blood he'd spilt.

He stared blankly at the temple wall, tears burning behind his leaf-green eyes. Almost desperately, he looked over at Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite, and Endymion before shaking his head in denial. "not again." He whispered brokenly… "Not again."

This time, it was Setsuna- the woman who'd all but raised him who stepped forward. She looked at Helios, a frown marring her face. "You knew what this would do to them…" she said it softly, even as Zoisite flinched away from her. "Why did you let them see it all?"

"I didn't feel that it would be any better for them to let it come slowly." The other man intoned. "It is for the best. They _need_ to know… besides… there are few memories I can give back. I cannot give them it all, only what the earth remembers."

"Are you saying… there's still blanks in their memories…?" Hakura asked, eyes narrowing as she walked over to Nephrite. The high priest nodded solemnly. His eyes sober. He sighed as he watched the guardian-Queen of Uranus place a comforting hand on her godson's shoulder, her own eyes deep with worry.

"There are blanks" he continued to say, "specifically concerning the… others that they encountered. They still have _some_ of those memories… but not _all_." Kunzite looked up, his pale gaze neutral.

"Will we _ever_ have it all back?" he asked quietly. Helios nodded. "Give it time, and yes. You will. For now, you five need rest. Endymion, you should talk to Zoisite." The prince nodded, moving over to the young man who was still in a state of shock from the memories that he'd regained. He was not the only one, as Setsuna had walked to his side. She looked at Endymion. "Have care, Endy." She murmured. "This is harder on him than the others."

Leaf green eyes rose to meet his and they were filled with horror and agony. "It was… my fault." He whispered raggedly. " _I'm_ the one who made the plans that ended in your death." He groaned and put his head in his hands. "Kunzite and I planned the whole damn thing."

Endymion kneeled, putting himself at the same level as the reincarnated general. "Yes. You did. Under the brainwashing of an evil bitch, who then stole your second life away. In the end you saved me… and the sailor scouts." He told the younger man.

Zoisite looked at him, eyes wary, face ragged. He looked, Endymion thought, like he'd lost months of sleep, and he'd only been here for a few hours. "Things are different, now." The dark-haired prince said. "We can change fate, and end Metalia's reign of terror."

A wry snort came from the tactician. "That… was the most clichéd thing I've ever heard you say." He muttered, however, he stood up, then looked at Setsuna. "Why… did you come to earth?" he asked. This made the others freeze at the doorway of the castle. Three other pairs of eyes traveled to their godmothers.

Setsuna sighed and gave a wan grin to her charge. "OF course _you_ would ask that, Zoi." She chuckled. She shook her head and turned to the others, who all nodded. She chuckled again, as Michiru started the story. "We were late- too late to save Mamoru- Endymion's former life, or our princess and our other four sisters, the Sailor Scouts and Princesses of Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter. When we arrived on the battlefield, all we could do was bury them." The aqua-green haired scout shook her head. Her voice held a deep sadness as she recounted the event.

Beside her, Hakura stepped forward. "We sealed Metalia away." She stated bluntly, "But, like with U- err, princess Serenity and her mother before her, we did not have enough power to seal her away for good. Actually, we had thought that Serenity had done that, already, but she was able to reform somehow. Setsuna told us that we had about a millennium before Metalia would start to break our seal and return… and we knew that this time, we needed more help."

Hotaru spoke now. "We needed you four." She said softly, smiling gently. "And we also knew that Metalia would brainwash you again if we didn't get there first…. So, we waited until the five of you were born, and each of us watched over you, to ensure she didn't get her hands on you again." Her eyes flashed at the last statement, a grim frown appeared for a few seconds. She continued. "We protected you the best we knew, taught you how to fight, and told you of your pasts."

"This," Setsuna murmured. "Was to make sure you could withstand the pull of Metalia without help." She chuckled. "You all still have the necklaces we'd given you, correct?" she asked. all five nodded, and Endymion was the first to pull his out of his shirt- it had been a present from Helios on his thirteenth birthday.

"Those were made by Sailor Mars, who, in her last life was a shrine maiden. They are warding spells to keep away evil… and they've only gotten more powerful since she made them… aroun nine-thousand years ago."

Zoisite gaped at the thing he wore around his neck. "wait…" he murmured. "that… that's not possible… because…you said you were…"

"There." Setsuna nodded. "Yes. We, as Sailor Guardians, are all _but_ immortal. We do not age. We do not get ill. We do not get hurt easily, and only specially made weapons can pierce our flesh. We have superior reflexes, senses, and strength, and we heal _very_ quickly from most injuries."

"Simply put," Hotaru drawled, "We don't die unless we are struck down with _magical_ weapons." She sighed as she looked at them, who were all gaping at this point. Jadeite was the first to start laughing, and laugh, he did, actually falling to the ground, holding his sides as his brothers were open-mouthed in shock.

"I _knew_ there was something odd about you, aunt 'Taru," he snickered when he regained some semblance of calm. " _These_ idiots didn't want to see it when I pointed out that you never aged. They said it was a trick of my imagination!" he laughed harder.

Hotaru smirked wryly. "You've always been oddly perceptive of the esoteric, Jadeite." She smiled. "But it is not just _we_ who share this… gift… or burden, however you want to call it." She told him. "Endymion is the holder of the Golden Crystal, and you four are tied to it the same way we are tied to our princess and the Silver Crystal. The same rules apply."

"Mum always _did_ find it odd that I never got hurt badly when I was younger…" Zoisite muttered, vaguely aware that the others snorted at him. "And Kunzite… you and Nephrite haven't aged since you were twenty-two…" the silver-haired man blinked as he realized that the younger man was right.

There was silence for a few moments… until Kunzite turned to Helios. "What do we do now?" he asked softly.

The high priest of Earth just chuckle. He grinned boyishly at the others. "Now… now we wait until the four reincarnated Sailor Scouts find their way back to their princess… and then, we begin the cycle all over again."

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading. Please review, and… yeah, see you next chapter. As always, AOP**


	5. Development Cycle II

_**Okay, so this is the**_ **longest** _ **chapter to boot... and that's because I wanted to make it at different ages- different stages of their lives. Now, this chapter also marks the first part of Repeating the Cycle. Now, I don't know if I forgot to add on in the first chapter... if not, I'll go back and change it... but**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN SAILOR MOON**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4- Development Cycle II**_

 **Tynda, Russia**

 _Two years after chapter 3, Age: 2_

She was crying again. Loudly. Lord did Tova have a set of lungs on her, Tatiana thought as she rocked her daughter while she screamed. This was the fourth time this week that the child had woken up like this in the middle of the night. Tatiana sighed, patting Tova on the back as she hummed soothingly over the sound of thunder that was coming from the _very_ sudden storm that had started up about ten minutes before her daughter's first loud cry.

When Mikhail walked in, he sighed and shook his head. "Here," he murmured gruffly, his voice thick from sleep. "Let me take her." She stood up and walked to her husband's open arms, setting the terrified child in them.

"What do we do, Mikhail?" she wondered softly, as Mikhail managed to calm Tova. "She's having this problem almost nightly now… I'm so worried…"

Mikhail shook his head as he looked up from his baby girl at his wife. She was right. This was worrisome, and he didn't have any answers. He felt like he'd failed his child. "I don't know, my love," he whispered. "Perhaps they are memories of a past life."

"I shudder to think you're right. What kind of things would one face for such a reaction?"

 _Five years later, Age: 7_

Tova ran into the house, green eyes glazed with tears as she ran to her mother. It had been the first day of school after summer holiday, and it had been miserable. The others in her class had teased her relentlessly about her height- she knew she was tall for her age… but those things that they were saying were so… so _mean_. The seven-year-old sobbed in her mother's arms. Behind her, her twin brothers- two years her junior, walked in, and frowned as they saw her crying.

Tatiana, who had gone through _much_ the same thing as a child sympathized with her. She also noticed the sudden snowstorm that they seemed to be having- it had been going on since about 14:00. She sighed as she told her daughter the _exact_ same thing her mother had told her. "You mustn't let it get to you, little one. They are just jealous."

"Of _what_?" Tova sobbed. "I didn't _ask_ to be taller… or stronger…"

"Oh, I know, sweetheart," she murmured, holding her daughter close. There was another thing that she and Mikhail had noticed. Their daughter was stronger than most teenage boys. And while Mikhail may joke about it while they were alone, she knew that it worried him as well.

That didn't stop him from starting self-defense lessons for their children. Any chance that Mikhail had, he'd be with Luca, Sevastian, and Tova, down in the basement of their small house, doing countless drills in all sorts of martial arts forms- as well as instruction on weapons… from fencing to target practice with knives, bows and firearms, they learned it all.

When Tova wasn't with her father and brothers, she was with Tatiana.

In what she suspected was her daughter's bid to prove that she was, in fact, just as dainty and docile as the other girls that she knew from school, Tova asked Tatiana to teach her how to cook, bake, sew, and other things. Tatiana was ecstatic to teach her daughter, always happy to have some time- though she, too took to her daughter's self-defense lessons… after all, she _was_ a police officer's wife. They had met in a dojo- she'd been earning her tenth degree blackbelts in both Jujutsu and Aikido, he'd been a part-time instructor.

 _Four Years Later, September- Age: 11_

Tova grew to be proficient in everything she decided to learn. Now, she took up gardening- after asking her father and brothers to help her build a greenhouse (which she did, much to the…. _Amusement_ \- at this, the tall girl grit her teeth in frustration- of her classmates. So what, if she could build things, and fight? And throw the baseball farther than most of the boys? She grumbled as she swung the hammer with more force than strictly necessary- causing the nail she was pounding in to _split_ the piece of wood she'd been trying to nail down- causing Luca to yelp from beside her… and thunder to rumble overhead), she and her mother planted everything from herbs and vegetables to flowers and other plants.

She spent all the time she had (when she wasn't studying or learning from her parents) in that garden. It was, quite simply, her favorite place to be. A place all her own, where she could be alone, not even her nosey brothers dared intrude on the sanctity of her little Eden. Now, as she tended her plants, she chose to reflect on things she didn't tell her parents….

Because for the last few months- since her eleventh birthday- she'd been dreaming of the same man. She didn't know _who_ he was… didn't know what was going on, or how these dreams were connected to the others- the ones of a silver palace and the feeling that she was supposed to protect _something_ … but had no idea of what- or _who_ \- that was.

She knew they were different- she thought with a slight blush on her face. She knew that she was greatly attracted to him- which was _nuts_ \- he _had_ to be in his _twenties_ , at _least_! But, in the dreams, _she'd_ been older, as well... she half wondered if they were a play on the romance novels she'd read.

She could only wonder what it all meant, she sighed at the thought, as she searched through her garden, bent on trying something new. Her mother was complaining of dry hands, so Tova was going to see if she could make something to help her. Almost as if it had heard her thoughts, the necessary plants seemed to grow a little taller.

Happily, she gathered up the herbs and flowers, and set to work. For now, she'd push the thoughts from her head.

For now, she'd just focus on her life.

 _Five years later, Age: 16_

Tova was scared now. Sometimes, she woke up, and she didn't know who she was…. sometimes, she thought her name was Makoto, sometimes, it was Lita (her middle name, ironically)… there were other names, too- Lilian, Grace, Kára, Aellô…. Sometimes, she _knew_ her name was Tova, but she woke up and freaked out about the fact that she wasn't _home_ , despite being in her own bed, in her own house.

Sometimes, she went to sleep, and could have sworn she wasn't alone in her bed, but when she woke, she was colder, and alone, and oddly bereft. And then, there were the dreams of blood and loss, and agony as she fought an unknown enemy. She woke up, trying not to scream and wake her parents, but….

But…. There were other dreams… dreams that she didn't want to think about (not that the ones of blood and death, and war were things she _wanted_ to think about)... Dreams of _him_ (she didn't know his name- or _names_ )… dreams that made her face burn with the blush of inexperience... dreams that made her _want._

She retreated farther into herself, into her family and garden. She did not really talk to her peers… the girls didn't seem to like her, and the guys seemed to be intimidated by her- after all, how many other girls stood at 177.8 cm? She could run faster, fight better and all sorts of other things… and they didn't like that. So... she kept to herself.

Never mind that the others thought she was standoffish... it didn't bother her like it used to.

She and her mother had opened a small shop- one that sold everything from teas to lotions and perfumes... things that she made out of her plants... and other materials that she could buy in stores... and it was doing well.

Just the other day, a visiting emissary from St. Petersburg came for a visit. A beautiful Japanese woman with long, blue-black, had bought some perfume that she'd made from some of her lilies. It had made Tova ecstatic.

 _One Year Later, Age: 17_

She didn't know what to think when he walked into the small shop- he was handsome, maybe around his early twenties? His hair was long, and silver... and he was... familiar. Tova had the oddest sense of déjà vu when she looked at him...

He wasn't _him_ , though. The man from her dreams. If anything, this one gave her the sense that she needed to be on guard. He smiled at her and asked about a perfume- her signature Lily one. Told her that his mother had been in only the year before and had loved it.

She'd sold him the perfume but hadn't really talked to him.

That night, she had a dream... and the silver haired man was in it. And in this dream, she watched as he killed someone that her dream-self had deemed a sister while they fought their way to someone's side- someone important. She woke up screaming for the first time in years, sobbing as her parents ran in. to see what was wrong. As she sobbed in her father's arms, she could only recount two things...

One: The man with silver hair- his name was _Kunzite_ , two: he knew the man in her other dreams, too...

Outside the house, Hotaru, Michiru, Hakura, and Setsuna watched through their magic, as their little sister's dreams got worse. Setsuna sighed, shaking her head. "It's almost time, Sailor Jupiter." She murmured. Hotaru shook her head, worry on her face, while Michiru cried for the child- for, to them, she _was_ a child, far too young and inexperienced to be in a war (A war, she reflected, that they'd been in at the same age hundreds of years ago). Hakura merely frowned and lifted her hand.

"I cannot change what she has seen," she murmured as she let magic flow through her, "But I can lessen the mental strain and help make the memory vague." As she did so, the woman-child in her father's arms calmed down, slowly.

And with that, they left.

Within the next year, they knew, it would begin.

* * *

 **Kyoto, Japan**

 _One Year after chapter 3_

Kumogi Kotetsu sighed as he held his granddaughter- his last living relative. Hestia had her father's coloring... and hair, but she had her mother's eyes. Brilliant, dark amethyst. She was calmer... calmer than most children at a year old were.

The oddest thing was, when he looked at her, he swore that, sometimes, the child held knowledge from many, many lifetimes. The few times the child _did_ make a fuss, though, the sacred fire that burned in the main part of the shrine seemed to strain to get closer to his granddaughter.

The first time this happened, he immediately put the fire out. As with the next few times. Lately, though, he did not. Though the fire would strain toward her, and though sometimes, he _swore_ that one of the many long-dormant volcanoes near Kyoto rumbled when she cried.

She seemed to cry more at night, as well. While Kotetsu had his own opinions on why his granddaughter would cry so, he did ask some of the other priests in the area... their answers ranged from a demon haunting her, to reincarnation.

He was inclined towards memories of a past life, himself... but the way she fussed... sometimes he wondered if it _was_ evil spirits. As a precaution, he put up wards in her room.

 _Four Years later, Age: 5_

Hestia was a quiet child, still, though now, she was learning how to run the temple. Kotetsu was proud of the girl for her quiet strength. Though she did not wake up crying any longer, he knew that the child still had nightmares. He'd taught her to use the fire as a tool for divination, and she seemed to take to this quicker than most.

She said that she saw dreams in the fire. She was able to show him this, and Kotetsu was then sure... this girl was special. Long before Hestia was born, when his son had brought Anna-Maria to the temple from her home in Mexico, the young woman had told him much the same thing.

That the girl had inherited her mother's powers... it was worrisome... the fact that both seemed to share something of a... connection to the element of Fire, too, was something that he was wary of... but, Kotetsu figured that if he trained Hestia to control this ability of hers, there would be less problems... however, some of the visitors to the shrine were starting to talk amongst themselves.

Rumors were nasty at the best of times, but he found his ire rising at the fact that they gossiped so callously about his _five-year-old_ granddaughter. What was worse, was that one day, Hestia heard their cruel words, and immediately, her face went blank. That did not stop Kotetsu from seeing the sheen of tears in her eyes. Immediately, he told these people that they would no longer be welcomed at the shrine if they continued doing so.

 _Three years later, Age: 8_

As Hestia grew, he taught her of both of her parents' heritages- though he did not know much of her _mother's_ family, he taught her what he could of their culture. She picked up Spanish quite easily, though she'd never known her mother. She would- even now- speak in an odd mixture of Spanish, English and Japanese, confusing may who came to the temple. This never failed to amuse Kotetsu, and it made her giggle. Precious little could make the child laugh, so Kotetsu encouraged her behavior.

She needed some laughter in her life. At eight she was still serious and quiet, keeping to herself, mostly, her grandfather thought, because of those _unworthy_ people who spread around rumors. He knew that some people could be worse, and in fear for Hestia's well-being, he signed her up for lessons at a dojo a dojo that was not far from the temple.

Whenever she was out of school, he would take her on nature walks, teaching her the plants that had healing properties- he had a sinking feeling that it was necessary for her to know these things, and he wasn't in the habit of ignoring such feelings. He may not have precognition like his daughter-in-law had, but he knew better than to ignore what fate was telling him.

 _Six Years Later, Age: 14_

Hestia truly hated school sometimes.

Because of the fact that the area she lived in was small, she had never escaped the rumors (that were completely true in some ways, but others were so far out, that even she wondered how they could think them true). Still, though, she made the best of it.

Still, though, it was not all bad. She had friends who did not listen to the rumors. Nothing ever happened, so they couldn't find anything to blame on her, but still. It was exhausting having to listen to people asking her to tell them their fortunes in the fire, only to get angry and rail at her when she refused to do so.

It didn't work that way, but they didn't want to hear that. She snorted as she tended to her chores at the shrine before she settled down for the night, wondering what her dreams would show her _this_ time... because lately, they were of a man.

He was beautiful... and dear gods, help her, she couldn't stop thinking about him. He would invade her mind during class, or during her morning routine... It was like a sickness... a sickness that she couldn't get rid of, and he was so much older than her- at the least, _six_ years.

Then, there were the times that she remembered what she thought to be past lives... She'd been called Hestia once before, but she'd lived on a different _world_ \- or, her name was Rei... or Ray- she couldn't remember which- then there was Lupa, Marquita, Antiope...and so many others...

Sometimes she didn't know where she was or how she got there. It scared her... so much that she started trying to find something to get herself away from the temple, _away_ from the fire, and the terrifying nightmares and _dreams_ that she did not know the meanings of. She ended up spending more time at the Dojo her grandfather had signed her up as a child... and in meditation, she started to find peace.

 _Three Years Later, Age: 17_

Oh, by the gods, it was _him_. Her mind was screaming at her, as she panted from the exertion of running six city blocks. It was _him_. The man from her dreams. She couldn't stop shaking, oh, gods, she'd _seen_ him. Walking out of Jūjō station, next to another young man with black hair.

His features were the exact same! Pale gold hair, ruffled by the wind, a tall, slim build... and oh, god those _eyes_ \- deep slate blue-grey, sparkling as he laughed with the other man. She'd turned around and _ran_ like the gates of hell had opened, and the demons were after her.

Because, oh gods, he was _real_ , and she could _feel_ thepull towards him, and she _had to get away because he meant death._ He _always_ meant death. She _needed_ to get away from him. She leaned against the wall of the store that she'd stopped running at. A soft whimper ripped out of her throat.

She'd loved him. She'd loved him so much... and he'd _betrayed_ her.

She didn't know how... she didn't know _anything._ Shaking her head, Hestia looked around, trying to figure out where she was- she'd rushed out of the station without looking where she was- a mistake on her part, but really, how could she have done anything differently? He held a hand to her chest; her breath came out in sobs, her nails dug into the stone wall- she did not notice when the concrete crumbled a little from it- as she clenched her fist over her heart.

The fire told her the stories... and until she'd seen that face... that devastatingly familiar, handsome face, she had not believed. She shook her head in denial.

She'd seen his face in the fires... she did not know what he'd done to her... only a deep, near crippling feeling of loss and anguish...

She wondered what she should do, now that she knew.

* * *

 **Paris, France**

 _Two years after chapter 3, Age: Two_

She did not ever sleep alone... Bijoux and Remy were a bit concerned. When she tried- and she did, Thisbe did not like worrying her parents, even at this age- she had terrible nightmares. She woke up crying most nights- regardless of Artemis being with her or not...

Thisbe could not sleep alone. Now, she had a habit of sneaking into her little sisters' room- her parents had a suspicion that she was not doing it only for her nightmares, but because she wanted to keep an eye on the younger child... Not that there was much to worry about. Leslie was closely watched by her parents. Both girls were.

Bijoux asked Thisbe once why she did not like sleeping alone. The girls answer was a bit concerning. She'd said, "I'm scared the dark lady's gonna get me." When she asked who the 'dark lady' was, Thisbe could not answer. She didn't know.

 _Four years later, Age: 6_

Small, bare feet padded down the hallway, all but hidden in the shadows, the small, blond girl crept, a white cat by her side. She carried a pillow and the large blanket from her bed with her as she slowly mad her way down the hall and into her new little brother's room.

Indigo eyes scanned the room, oddly wary for any child- let alone a six-year-old. She peaked into the crib at the small body resting within it. Nino seemed to share her father's darker coloring, she thought with a giggle. Quietly, trying not to disturb the baby's rest, she set up her pillow.

That was when she heard the floorboards creak. She looked up to see her two little sisters- they could have been twins, had they been the same age, but Leslie was a year older than Cora. Both were paler versions of Thisbe, with their platinum blond hair and lilac-colored eyes. "Tisbe?" Leslie whispered, "Can we sleep with you and Nino?"

The oldest daughter smiled. "Of course," she whispered back, she hid the amusement at the fact that her little sister still could not pronounce her name right. "Mamma and Papa won't mind... but I hope you two brought your own pillows. I only grabbed one." Both shuffled their feet, but Cora was holding hers in front of her, and Leslies was peaking out on either side of her small, slim body.

The next morning, Remy nearly tripped over his three daughters on his way to get his now awake and giggling little boy.

 _Five Years Later, Age: 11_

Thisbe was suspended from school. For fighting.

She had been in martial arts since she was five- as well as fencing and gymnastics- all activities that she'd asked her parents for... and she'd learned one very important rule in her martial arts classes- never attack anyone who doesn't attack you first. However, they didn't say _how_ that attack might be delivered, and- to this end- Thisbe did not consider it wrong to punch the boy- two years her senior- in the face for making fun of Leslie and Cora... or proceeding to fight with his two friends (and him, after he got over the shock of his broken nose).

She was not the least bit repentant at her actions. She'd warned them to stop. _Three_ times. It wasn't her fault that they took that as 'keep going'. It _certainly_ wasn't _her_ problem if it took the broken nose, a black eye, and a split lip for the bullies to run away crying- much like they'd made her little sisters do...

No one made her little siblings cry...

Though, in hindsight, she probably shouldn't have broken the first one's nose... she hadn't been pulling her punches (too much) with him, as she was already in a crabby mood from yet _another_ sleepless night. Artemis had said it was normal- that because of her _pasts_ , she was bound to get glimpses of _many_ of them.

She didn't understand why most had to be of war. Or why they had to be disorienting as they were. Sometimes, she woke up knowing she was Thisbe, but would swear that she fell asleep somewhere else- and in _some_ cases, _with_ someone else... (the memory of those dreams made her flush- after all, she was only eleven... though she took on a more mature form in her dreams, she was by no means mature in this life yet) Sometimes, her name was Minako, sometimes, it was just Mina...

Sometimes, she was Astarte or Ishtar...

 _All_ the time, she woke up feeling confused... bereft. She would dream of old battles, old homelands. She would dream of a place not seen on Earth, and of herself, in royal regalia, both beautiful and alien to her- no royalty she'd seen ever wore things like that- things that revealing...

Then, there was her lover...

Or, at least, that was what she thought he was... she could never... _remember_ what he looked like- dreams of him seemed to fade as soon as she woke. She knew he was in many of her lives... and she could only wonder at the pain she felt when she woke. Artemis, of course, remained completely silent, despite her pleading on this particular subject.

He would not tell her.

It didn't matter, she thought. Eventually, she knew she'd find out... she just had to be patient.

 _Four Years Later, Age: 15_

She didn't know who this temporary instructor (she had said she'd be there for about two months) was at her jujutsu dojo... but the woman knew how to fight. Tall and blond, the woman had introduced herself as Tenoh Haruka.

She'd taken a special interest in Thisbe... and she didn't quite know how to deal with that. These days- for the past few years- Martial Arts had been less _learning_ , and more of an outlet. An outlet to get out all the feelings that she kept to herself. Things she couldn't tell her parents or siblings... or even her friends... because they wouldn't understand. Hell, _she_ didn't understand, sometimes.

So, when Mlle. Tenoh asked her if she wanted to spar someone closer to her in skill (she'd been granted a tenth degree blackbelt just last year. One of the youngest ever recipients of the honor ever recorded), she'd thanked her for the opportunity and squared up.

For the first time in years, she'd lost. After class, she'd thanked the woman, who'd given her a soft, maternal grin. "My pleasure," she said softly. "It's one of the few times I've been able to say that I beat you."

And with that sentence, she suddenly remembered this woman... and how they'd used to spar... Not in every one of her lifetimes, but many of them. Her... and others.

That night, she dreamed of her sisters, and of happier times.

 _Two Years Later, Age: 17_

She woke screaming- something she hadn't done in years.

Oh, gods, she _remembered._ She remembered it _all_. But, most of all... she remembered _him_. Kunzite... Malachite- whatever he went by- Avi, Dumuzi... many others. He was a _constant_. Constantly in her lives... always her lover, _always_ her reaper.

She cried as she remembered the Silver Millenia, when she remembered fighting wave after _wave_ of _his_ soldiers... finally making her way to him... Killing him as he killed her.

She remembered her princess, and how they'd all _died_. She remembered her other sisters... and she remembered what had happened. Her parents rushed in... and this time, she told them _everything._ To _hell_ with Artemis- and him telling her not to.

She _needed_ her mother and her father. She hadn't told her mother in her last life, and she'd _died_. She was _not_ doing that this time. Her mother and father _deserved_ to know. At first, they were skeptical- how could they _not_ be? That was, until she'd turned into sailor Venus right in front of them.

It was Bijoux who spoke first, her own indigo eyes narrowed as she glared at the green-eyed cat. "You didn't think to tell us this _years_ ago?" she asked, censure in her tone as she and her husband held their daughter. "Didn't you think that, if we _knew_ what was going on, we'd have been... better equipped to deal with this?"

"It wasn't my place," Artemis said softly, ducking his head (Remy tried to keep his composure over the cat acting like a _human_ , let alone _talking.._. Really, his wife was _so_ much better at dealing with the fantastical reality that they seemed to live in.) "If these circumstances had been... different... I felt that there might be danger to do so, however."

"What _danger_? The monsters my daughter remembers fighting? The _thing_ that killed her? How about the _man_?" Remy growled now. His daughter's eyes- so like her mother's were glazed with sadness, fear and pain. Things that did not belong on her face.

"If I had told you, _she_ might have sensed it... and might have come after Thisbe." Artemis told him quietly. "The first time, she used a human woman, and then, using her, managed to brainwash the four most powerful beings on earth into doing her bidding. I feared that _She_ would try and do the same with Thisbe."

"Who is _she_?" Bijoux growled now, frowning in a rather intimidating manner.

"I will not speak her name. If I did- if _anyone_ did, it would only alert her to Thisbe's presence." Artemis told her adamantly. "I do this for _all_ of your protection."

"What do we need to do?" Remy asked.

"You've already been doing what you need to do." The cat replied, a cryptic smile on his feline face. "But, now that she has all her memories, we need to get you all to safety."

* * *

 **New York City, America**

 _Two months after chapter 3_

Miranda knew that raising a baby in New York City- while trying to go to school and pay bills- was going to be impossible. So- taking her mother's words to heart (as she had _screamed_ in Gaelic to her daughter what a disgrace she was- getting pregnant at seventeen- _two months after the fact_... even if she'd already graduated High School the _year_ before) and left.

She had gotten a full ride scholarship to Brown University for Anthropology. She'd gotten a small apartment (opting out of living in the dorms with a newborn baby... though she didn't know if they'd let her live there anyway with Anahita), and took on a job.

Now, she sat, rocking her terrified child to sleep as she tried to do her homework at the same time- she'd been dual-enrolled from the time she was a junior in high-school, taking online courses, and right now was working on her master's degree.

Softly, she sang an old lullaby in the nearly dead language that her mother had taught her- the woman may have been an uptight, old fashioned _witch_ (there was nothing wrong with old fashioned, but her mother... well, she took it to the extreme- with one exception: the fact that her hair was _naturally_ blue angered her to no end- she dyed it black...), but the only time Miranda _enjoyed_ spending time with her mother was learning the language.

It seemed to be the only thing that was able to sooth Anahita when she was like this (which was almost every time the child slept). She'd been so worried, that she'd her to a doctor...

The idiot had claimed cholic.

Miranda had rolled her eyes... because she _knew_ it wasn't cholic. Anahita didn't show _any_ signs for cholic other than crying every time she closed her eyes. She'd taken her to other doctors... and not a one of them had an answer for her- their answers ranged from autism to teething (for Christ's sake, the baby was only two moths old, teething didn't happen till _about_ six months in!), _back_ to cholic, and dear God above, she was getting pissed at them.

She'd called her maternal grandmother, Ciara- who, despite Miranda getting disowned by her daughter, still talked to her.

She gave her an answer, all right, and one that Miranda was _more_ inclined to believing than the answers she'd gotten up till now... even if it was more... esoteric than she expected: Dreams of past lives. Now, this... surprised Miranda... but at the same time, it didn't.

She had an odd suspicion that her grandmother was right... Because for as long as Miranda had had her daughter... well, there were times that the child looked at her with an intelligence that was almost terrifying. Her eyes, still grey-blue (they wouldn't start changing till about the same time she started _teething_ ), seemed to _see_ , though... and sometimes, Miranda could _swear_ that Anahita was reading her research papers...

But that was impossible.

 _Three Years Later, Age: 3_

Anahita was already reading- usually, a parent would be _proud_ \- and Miranda _was_... however, Anahita was reading at a _third-grade_ level... at _three years old_. She was also talking in grammatically correct sentences- actually, Anahita had never really gone through the _baby-talk_ stage. Her first word was 'mamma', and it was immediately followed by her first sentence: 'mamma, why's gramma mad at you?'

That was when Miranda made yet another discovery about her gorgeous little girl: she was a genius with an IQ of over 300.

She was _not_ equipped for this... but, apparently, her grandmother was. Ciara immediately came to live with them (in their _tiny_ apartment), to watch Anahita while Miranda was away. She came home one day, to find out that Ciara was homeschooling her daughter- which was both good and bad- good because she was _so_ not ready for her baby girl to go to school... bad because when she finally _did_ go to school, it would be with children _much_ older than her.

However, every chance she got, she was with her daughter, reading with her, playing with her- just... giving her the childhood that Miranda hadn't had (her mother was _not_ the most touchy-feely person, and that was _before_ her father's accident).

 _Six Years Later, Age: 9_

" _Could you send Anahita Barker to the principal's office, please,"_ the speaker in the classroom asked her teacher. Ignoring the immature 'ooh's' from her class (honestly, was it _necessary_ to do that, in the first place?), she looked at her teacher for confirmation.

At the woman's nod, she stood from her desk, and walked out. Honestly, she'd already _passed_ fourth grade- she was _far_ beyond fourth grade... but she didn't really want to skip any grades- after all, she was _already_ awkward around her peers- sticking herself in a higher grade... wouldn't really help with that. She sighed softly as she walked to the principal's office.

When she got there, the secretary just nodded her in, a severe look on his face that Anahita could not understand was being aimed at her. She crossed the room into the office, where the woman sat behind an oakwood desk,

Immediately, the woman looked up, pokerfaced. "Miss. Barker. Thank you for coming." ' _like I had a choice, you called me out in the middle of class...'_ Anahita thought, but she nodded.

"I have a question for you, Anahita, and I want you to answer truthfully." A blue brow rose, hidden completely by the bangs of her short, royal blue pixie-cut. The principal went on. "Did you cheat on the last history exam?"

At this, Anahita's blue eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, her voice turned from its usual soft-spoken, shy tone to a tone sharp and cutting as ice. The principal blinked in surprised, but Anahita could only feel the fury in her veins- cold, so cold. She didn't notice that the ice water on the teacher's desk had iced over.

"Did you-"

"I _heard_ the question, Mrs. Marten," she said quietly, cutting the teacher off. "No. I did _not_ cheat on that exam." She was _insulted_ , she realized, that this woman- or her _teachers_ would think that she had. At the look of distrust on the principal's face, however, she sighed. "I could take another one right in front of you, right here, to prove it." She offered.

The woman sighed and shook her head. "Not necessary, Miss. Barker. I believe you." She nodded and stood.

"May I go now?" she asked. Mrs. Marten nodded, and Anahita left the office to go back to class.

The next day, they asked her if she wanted to skip five grades. Anahita immediately declined. She knew that she could probably be out of high school by now, had she wanted to do so. She didn't. All she wanted was some sense of... normalcy.

Because she knew that _she_ was not normal.

She shuddered as she remembered what her great-grandmother had told her not long ago- that she was an old soul, and that the dreams she had were memories... that didn't make it better. It didn't make the dreams of wars long past go away...

It didn't make her any less terrified that she would wake up one day and forget that she was Anahita Ami-Ciara Barker (a name that she _really_ didn't understand), that she lived in Providence, Rhode Island, or that she was nine years old... she had a dance recital the next night.

It wouldn't stop her from wondering where the beautiful white palace was- or keep her from wanting to go there... or any of the other places that she dreamed of.

She just wanted a bit of normal in her very... _un_ ordinary world.

 _Four Years Later, Age: 13_

She woke up, gasping. ' _Where... am I?'_ she thought wildly, looking around. This was _not_ the Silver Millennium Palace... where was Serenity? Sweet Poseidon, had she run down to Earth again? She needed to get up, and... had she been captured...?

It took about half a second after that for Anahita to realize where- and _who_ \- she was. Immediately, she went to her desk, and took out her notebook. With analytical speculation, she wrote down what she'd felt and thought, and read it again.

The Silver Millennium... Serenity... everything. She would show it to grandma Ciara and her mother when she woke... her mother was an Anthropologist, perhaps she would know what the Silver Millennium Palace was- and _where_ it was. Shaking her head she lay down to try and sleep a bit more but found that she could only think. Last night, she had not been Anahita of the Silver Millennium, but had been an Athenian priestess named Ophelia, and she'd been about to be put to death for... _something..._ and amazon by the name of Ismênê.

There were others... Ami- a Japanese girl who did... _something_ (she felt like her life was a big fill-in-the-blank questionnaire, sometimes- and she _hated_ not knowing the answers), Nefertari of Egypt... Those lives seemed to pop up more times than not.

And so did... _he_. She'd dreamed of him since she was a small child- but they'd changed starting at eleven... since, she realized, she started to sexually mature, when she'd started noting the boys in her classes that were attractive. She shuddered as she put on her glasses, feeling her face heat up, and hear heart skip a beat.

She wasn't sure if she should be _having_ dreams like that... not at her age. This was disregarding the fact that he was so much older- but then, in the dreams, so was she.

Not one of the boys she'd gone to class with could hold a candle to the man in her dreams... or at least... she never felt near as much attraction to any of her classmates as she did in her dreams for _him_.

Unlike most of the dreams that she had which were alarmingly clear- and most times, bloody- the dreams she had of her times with _him_ were...fuzzy. Like a TV that lost signal, they were blurry and staticky. The only details she could _truly_ remember were jade green-and-gold eyes and long, tumbling, wavy hair somewhere caught between ash-blonde and strawberry blonde.

Sometimes, it was loose, hanging around them like a silky curtain.

Needless to say, she did _not_ share these dreams with her mother or great-grandmother... even if she remembered them through a fuzzy lens, she knew enough of what they were about to be thoroughly embarrassed by their content...

 _Four Years Later, Age: 17_

She woke up gasping and cold. Her body covered in a light sheen of sweat as she grasped for her glasses. The dream was again, fuzzy- like many of _him_ where...

But she knew what had happened.

He'd _killed_ her.

She loved him... and he _killed_ her. The sound of grief startled her as it came out of her throat. She _still_ didn't remember the details of that life- Anahita's first life- but she remembered that... after she'd fought off wave after wave of soldiers... after she fought to make it to her princess' side, she'd been stopped short...

With a blade thrusted through her stomach.

When her mother and great-grandmother rushed in, she threw herself into their arms and cried. Cried for her princess, her sisters, and for herself. She didn't know what to do. Her mother just held her as she did, soothing her daughter as she cried... the words she spoke as she cried were not English- or any of the other _ten_ languages that Anahita knew.

As far as Miranda knew, this was a language that had long been replaced. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered now, except holding onto her daughter as she fractured apart in her arms.

* * *

 **Thebes, Greece**

 _Two Years After Chapter 3, Age: 2_

Their daughter was special. Of course most parents would think that about their children, and the That, they knew... though, Nicoletta Drakos was pretty sure that the talking cat was a pretty good indication of _that_. Not that Luna _knew_ that Nicoletta knew she was sentient...

Well, not until now, anyway. The cat let out a screech (that made Nicoletta laugh while Darius rolled his eyes at his wife's antics).

"How... how did you...?" Luna gasped, looking from one parent to the other. Nicoletta was laughing too hard- holding her _very_ pregnant belly as Darius explained.

"Nicoletta heard you about two months after Selene was born. She thought she was going crazy, so she grabbed me out of bed and we both heard you." He said dryly. The cat groaned and lay down, head in her paws- in an incredibly human manner. Darius smirked wryly. "Now, I want to know: _what_ is going on with Selene?"

"I... I can't tell you everything."

"Tell us what we need to know- if there's something- or _someone_ you can't mention, don't... but we need to know what's going to happen to our child." Nicoletta- who had finally calmed down after her laughter said softly. "We can handle it, Luna. We _need_ to know.

"Oh, very well." The cat muttered, giving up. The woman was right, after all. If Selene was going to be able to do this, she needed not just her sailor scouts and Endymion's newest incarnation, but her family, as well.

In a way, Luna thought as she explained everything that had happened, Nicoletta Drakos reminded her of Queen Serenity- they even shared the silver hair and silver eyes...Sometimes, Luna wondered if Nicoletta _was_ the queen- reincarnated like her daughter.

When the explanations were done, Darius and Nicoletta just looked at each other, before turning back to their daughter's guardian. "How much time do we get with her?" Nicoletta asked softly. Luna sighed.

"The other scouts... Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Saturn... they told me that it would be a while longer... I'm not actually sure _how_ long. They've sealed the evil one away... we think... we think she's different- stronger, now."

"But how _long_ will I have my daughter before she has to turn into 'Sailor Moon'?" Nicoletta asked. Luna smiled wryly. "She will be your daughter, no matter what. Reincarnation doesn't change that... but we think that it will start in around sixteen years."

"So... she'll be eighteen, then?" Darius murmured. He and his wife again exchanged a look. "We'd better get her enrolled in martial arts..." he muttered. Nicoletta smiled at her husband's practicality and nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Luna." She said. "For telling us. Now, we can prepare her." The cat nodded.

 _Four Years Later, Age: 6_

Selene was pouting, tears in her eyes as she stood back up. She'd gotten hurt again, but that didn't matter to her. She was angrily glaring at the boy in front of her, who'd pushed her down, teasing her because her hair was silver, and she was only six.

She tossed the amazingly long hair back- a completely feminine move- and nailed him with silver-shot blue eyes. "You're so _mean_ ," she snapped. She did not do anything to him- she knew she'd end up hurting _him_ more than he'd hurt _her_. She was, after all, stronger... and she had to keep that in mind.

He laughed at her. "What'cha gonna do? _Cry_ on me?" he sneered.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I don't _have_ to." She said, before turning and walking away.

He didn't seem to like that, and he grabbed her hair, and pulled. _Hard._ She squeaked, her hand flying to her now aching head, but refused to do anything but walk away.

When she got home, she sniffled a bit, but she didn't want her little brother to see, so she smiled at him and went to the kitchen to find her mother. "Selene... are you okay?" Luna asked on the way. She nodded. "Yeah, my head hurts, but I'm okay."

"Why does your head hurt, sweetheart?" her Nicoletta asked from the kitchen. Selene made a face and grabbed a cookie, which turned her mood from hurt and upset to slightly happier. More cookies should help with that, though.

"A mean boy from school was teasing me, because my hair is silver." She told her mom. Nicoletta turned, her own long, silver hair shimmered in the sunlight. She gave her daughter a smile. "You walked away, didn't you?" she asked, knowing her daughter.

Selene nodded, and her mother sighed and shook her head. "I think that _he_ thinks you're pretty." She grinned, making the small girl giggle.

"Don't worry about it, Selene." She continued. Selene nodded. Her mother was right. She grabbed another cookie- and one for Remus- and walked out of the kitchen. She grinned as she handed her brother the treat and went to... take a nap.

"Selene don't you have homework?" Luna asked. the girl rolled her eyes. "Later, Luna, my hair nearly got ripped out... I need a nap."

"You'll be up all night, again," Luna reminded her. Selene just shrugged. "I like the night better than the day, anyway." She retorted.

She did _not_ wake up. At all. In fact, she slept through dinner, and her parents' hushed conversation with Luna. Meanwhile, she dreamed about her life in Silver Millennia. The dreams had been coming more and more as she aged.

She knew what they were, Luna had told her. She had told her everything, and she knew her parents knew- and that, when the time came, they'd tell Remus. She'd _met_ Sailors Uranus and Neptune... they were teaching her how to use her powers- though, that was mostly Luna.

 _Five Years Later, Age: 11_

Endymion... Damian... Mamoru... it was the mantra in her head, lately. She didn't _know_ who that was, her dreams were fuzzy where he was concerned... and, of course, Luna though that she should focus on school and... her other studies rather than _boys_... but _this_ was different.

Luna wouldn't tell her, though, and her 'sisters' (Hotaru, Hakura, Michiru and Setsuna) wouldn't tell her either, rather, they told her that 'someday, she'd find out...' but Selene didn't _want_ someday. She wanted to know... but pressing the matter didn't work... which was annoying. She sighed as she looked down at her history book with vague annoyance.

It wasn't that she didn't _like_ the subject. But... oh, who was she kidding? the only subject she hated _more_ than history... was English.

Who needed to know the language, anyway? She didn't live in a region where there were a _lot_ of people who spoke it- besides the tourists, but she didn't really talk to them, just pointed them in the right direction that was on the map they were pointing at and waved.

No talking needed.

Of course, _that_ particular point was completely irrelevant to her cat, who _insisted_ on her learning it, anyway. Not that she wasn't forced to know Russian, Japanese, Spanish and French (they had force-fed her the languages, and now, she spoke all fluently... she _still_ didn't know why it was _that_ important).

Her cat's insistence on the knowledge made her English her _best_ class- even though she hated it.

The problem with history was that she _lived_ most of the things that they were learning... and that she _knew_ most of it was wrong. Different. But, as Hotaru told her: the _victors_ wrote history. The others were left to bury their dead. Perhaps this thought was rather dark- at least, Selene thought so- but, she had to admit that it had its merit.

 _Four Years Later, Age: 15_

She shuddered at what Luna had told her of her former life. Of when she was Tsukino Usagi. Of how it ended... kind of. There were details that she was leaving out- and Selene knew that- but it was pretty straight forward.

"I thought I _killed_ Metalia, though?" she whispered. "I said, _scatter to dust_. Why didn't she stay...?" confusion wracked her, while her cat sighed.

"We thought so, too. Honestly, Selene... she _shouldn't_ be back... what you did to her... she shouldn't have _ever_ had the power to reform after that. Yet, she did... and she came back... stronger. We don't _know_ how she did any more than you do."

"Does anyone have a clue?" It was her mother who asked, worry in her voice.

Luna hesitated. "Mercury had a thought..."

"Mercury?" Darius asked. Luna sighed. "Sailor Mercury- also known as Princes Mercury and... Mizuno Ami in her last incarnation. I don't know who- or where- she is today... but she was- _is_ \- the team strategist." She replied.

"There are... others... besides Selene, then?" Nicoletta frowned. "Why didn't we know that?" she and Darius looked at each other in confusion, as usual, a unit. It was actually Remus who spoke up in answer.

"Maybe she _couldn't_ tell you that part?" he asked. He'd always been thoughtful, even at the age of thirteen, the boy thought more before he acted- both a good thing and a bad thing, Nicoletta thought. Sometimes, the boy had a problem with overthinking.

"Why would you think that?" Luna asked, looking a bit affronted.

"Either that," the boy said softly, "or you're trying to keep the _other_ warriors safe right now, too." He said. "But doesn't Selene need them, too?"

Luna had the grace to look a bit embarrassed. "I..." she sighed. "Yes. She does... it's just... It's different for them." She muttered. "They're... remembering... but their remembering different things..."

"Like how I remember being Usagi and Serenity... and the others?" Selene asked. The cat nodded.

"Exactly."

 _One Year Later, Age: 16_

Selene pouted as she sat on the beach. She glanced over at her cat. "When are they coming?" she asked. Luna smirked wryly, taking in the pout with a soft chuckle.

"Soon, Selene. I got a message from Artemis yesterday. He's coming- with Venus and her family." Selene huffed, and once again, Luna was surprised at how much Selene acted like Usagi, sometimes.

"Well, what about the others?" she mumbled.

Again, the cat chuckled. "I don't know, Selene. Only Venus really remembers the whole thing. Not even _you_ remember it all." She said gently. This made the pale-haired girl's pout deepen.

"Aw, Luna... You didn't tell me that!" Selene whined.

"Selene, I can't tell you _everything_." Luna smirked. "That would defeat the purpose of _learning_."

As if they heard the conversation between the cat and the princess, the four outer Senshi appeared. Selene stood, grinning at the four, and stepped forward to hug the four of them. Then, Setsuna spoke.

"It's time." She said softly. "They're coming."

* * *

 _ **Finally... Finally it's done. This chapter took 17 pages, a computer glitch-out that wiped half of it at one point, and a writer's block is the second to**_ **last _chapter of Part 1._** _ **Be kind. As always, thank you for sticking with it this long, and as always,**_

 _ **Read and Review. AOP**_

 _ **also: yes, I know there probably aren't any dormant volcanoes near Kyoto, Japan... but... just... go with it, okay? Seriously, I**_ **tried _looking one up near Kyoto, and I couldn't seem to find any. The frustration that I went through..._**


	6. Reunion Cycle

**I DON'T OWN SAILOR MOON, OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THE FRANCHIZE.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, it occurs to me... I forgot to write a last name for Zoisite- as well as an ethnical background- yes, all five of them were born in Japan- for reason I think I specified, but they are all from different countries- Kunzite is half Russian, Half Japanese. Endymion is half Italian, Half Japanese, Jadeite is Irish, Nephrite is Scottish (yes, I know Scotland is a part of England, but they're different- at least, ethnically and historically speaking). For the record: Zoisite is Ukrainian. Because I can. His Last name is Siryvovk- which is... well, it's me mashing the Ukrainian words for Grey and Wolf (Siryy and Vovk respectively, or, at least, so sayeth google) together- because... again: I can. It's a similarity he shares with the others (because I went back and changed them... Jackson is just too... normal for me. His name is Nephrite Lyall, now. and I kind of wanted to change Endymion's name for real, so, now, his name is Endymion Marrok). Yes. In a way, this means that Endymion has his own Wolf Pack... and that includes himself. I'm laughing about that... though, to be completely honest... they all kind of remind me of wolves in the first place... and I really wasn't subtle about it.**

 **Due to this change in names, I had to tweak the story just the tiniest bit, so you might want to reread... the major difference is just in Rebirth Cycle 1... though I changed Endymion's mom's name and nationality. Now, his Dad's the Italian, and his mom's Japanese. Her name went from Bianca to Suzuki, and her surname was (before marriage) Chiba. So, again, the slightest bit of changing.**

 **I tried to catch it all, but I may have missed some- like when I changed Kunzite's father's name- so if I did, please, let me know. Anyway, long-ass spiel is over- for now.**

 **By the way: Ciara - Anahita's great-grandmother's name is pronounced Kay-ra or Keera. Not Kee-yar-a. It's Irish. It's complicated. It's also pretty.**

 **Also: Jadeite's name... you'll hear the other generals (depending on who they are) call him either Jade or Jed.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5- Reunion Cycle**_

 _ **PAST: Metalia's defeat**_

 _No... no this couldn't be_ happening _! Those... children, the sailor scouts! Daughter of Selene, whom her own sister had cursed and her puny guardians! NO!_

" _Mother, you promised!" she wailed as she felt herself be blown apart, her consciousness was still there, though. Cursed by the cursed to never again take form. She was far too weak..._

You have failed.

 _Her mother, Chaos. She was there. "Mother! Help me!" she pleaded, though she knew it was in vain. Her mother held no maternal feeling for her offspring. If Metalia had failed, she would send one of her other her siblings... or her own minion..._

You have failed to do what I have told you, daughter. Now, you suffer.

 _Metalia wept. Screamed out in her mind. No one could hear her. Beryl had failed her- those generals had failed her. The silver crystal was_ still _in the moon's possession. She raged at her defeat, at her weakness that had been exploited..._

 _She would be no more, after this..._

" _Sailor Moon, you_ will _be destroyed..." she whispered... a last, dying promise. A promise that, if not_ she _, then someone else would keep. It was her curse on the princess..._

 _Just as her sister had cursed the moon kingdom, so would she curse the princess._

 _ **Present Day- Elysion**_

After the return of their memories, they stayed at Elysion. OF course, all of them besides Kunzite attended university (Zoisite, Jadeite and Nephrite were attending Oxford, Endymion was going to Tokyo University), so they opted for online courses- or, at least Jadeite and Zoisite did (for the most part). Endymion, who was in the medical program, actually had to attend. This caused him to commute between the two places...

Which, as it turned out, was _spectacular_ training with teleportation. Helios taught them to control their magics- something that they already had (after all, they were raised by the outer senshi, who taught them to control their abilities without them even knowing).

In this manner, two years passed.

At this moment, they were sitting in the 'meeting room', as they called it. As usual, Kunzite was deep in thought. Jadeite was writing a paper for one of his classes, Zoisite was reading one of his textbooks, frowning as he made notes in the margins, and Nephrite was studying star-charts. Endymion was due back to Elysion from class in a few minutes, and they were bored.

That is, they were bored until their silver-haired 'leader' spoke up. "We're _still_ missing memories," he said. It was common knowledge amongst them, but it still made the other three stop what they were doing and look at the detective (not that they knew he was a detective, he _still_ hadn't told them what his job really was. they only knew it was in law enforcement).

"Well, we already know _that_. The Aunts told us- _Helios_ told us." Zoisite pointed out. "Something about us blocking the information."

" _You_ of all people wouldn't _block_ information, Zoi... not willingly, anyway. Oddly, that's my _point_." Kunzite retorted. Zoisite just smirked. It was a bleak, dark look that looked rather terrifying on his face- even the leader of the group was wary of that look- it meant nothing good.

"I'm not so sure, Kunzite," he said quietly, there was something in his tone he'd only acquired recently when approached with the subject of their memories- self-loathing. "I very nearly blocked out what happened during the Silver Millennium."

Jadeite winced at the mention of _that_. They all did. "I think what Kunzite was getting at was that you _didn't_ , whether or not you contemplated doing so... you still didn't." Nephrite finally spoke. Zoisite shook his head, causing his long, curly hair to bounce around in its low ponytail.

"The point that _I'm_ trying to make is that I nearly _did_ , so maybe what I'm blocking- what _we're_ blocking... is worse." This statement caused Kunzite to frown, his head jerked around to his brother.

"What," he growled, silver eyes narrowed and glittering dangerously at the youngest general, "Could be _worse_ than _betraying_ our prince, and getting him _killed_ , Zoisite?"

"Why did we betray him in the first place?" the longer haired man countered. "Do you remember? I don't. What could cause us to question him _so_ much that Beryl had an opening?" Leaf green eyes narrowed as well now. "Seriously, can you answer that, Kunzite, because _I_ can't. In fact, I don't think we doubted or _questioned_ him at all."

He sighed, and rubbed his forehead, shoving the long, not quite ginger, not quite wheat gold hair out of the way, before speaking again, tone morose. "My _point_ still stands. It had something to do with that _whole_ train-wreck."

"I agree with Zoi, here, Kunz." Jadeite spoke up suddenly. His usually jovial face was marred with a serious frown. "really, _why_ was Beryl able to get to us, Kunz? None of us _know_ the answer to that... lest of all you. I can't remember why Beryl wanted so badly to destroy Endymion... and for _that_ matter, what did the Silver Millennium have to do with it? It was a completely different kingdom that we really didn't _have_ anything to do with- aside from Dymion falling for the moon princess, even if we _were_ in negotiations with them..." he trailed off.

Kunzite _hated_ to admit it, but Jadeite and Zoisite were right. Nephrite sighed. "We'll find out sooner or later," the second oldest of the group stood, shutting his charts. "I don't know _when_ , but we'll remember... I just hope we can handle it."

Zoisite winced, remembering his reaction to his betrayal of Endymion. Though his own questions on their situation were not answered- aunt Setsuna was _annoyingly_ closed mouthed about the whole thing, he understood what Nephrite was saying.

"Wow, I came back at a fan _tastic_ time, didn't I?" Endymion entered the room with a wry smirkl "Such a dark conversation... what brought it on?" he dropped into a chair at the table, draping his long limbs over a chair, with one foot resting on the wood of the table in front of him. His dark blue eyes sparkling with humor and mischief, a sly smirk twitching on his face. The others rolled their eyes.

Jadeite smirked. "Kunzite was brooding." He said. Endymion nodded in understanding and fake- pity. "He does excel at that... well," he grinned. "He and Neph do... and Zoi's almost as bad."

"You and I are the only ones who _don't_ waste time brooding... at least until you start drinking, oh prince _Edge-lord_." Jadeite gave him a mocking bow, and even Kunzite smirked. Nephrite chuckled as Endymion pouted.

"Not cool, Jade." He muttered. "Especially when _you_ start crying when you drink." He paused for a second before adding, "You're clingy, too." Total lies, but, as Jadeite never remembered _what_ happened after he got drunk, they always lied about it, calling him an over-emotional teenage girl.

Zoisite, however, did remember a time when a sloppily drunk Jadeite _had_ cried all over a trapped, sober Kunzite (who'd looked so uncomfortable, that they'd taken a picture, just to solidify evidence), and laughed outright. "He has a fair point, Jade," he pointed out as the blonde pouted. He turned his glare to the longer pale-haired general.

"Oh, shut up." He snapped, ears going a bit pink.

"Well, _that_ took away the serious edge I had..." Kunzite grumbled, annoyed that none of the others took this as seriously as he did- with the exception of Nephrite. Maybe it was because they were older. Said Brunette rolled his eyes.

"No use, now, Kunz." He said. "Besides, as I said, we'll find out eventually. There's no point in brooding over it."

"We'll have to work with our aunts..." and the other, _newly reborn_ sailor scouts..." Endymion said. "There's a good chance-"

"That you'll fall for the princess, and bring about galactic destruction again? Yeah, we know." Zoisite smirked as Endymion punched him on the shoulder.

"Eat me, Zoi." He grumbled, though his ears turned pink. Kunzite rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Can we talk about something _else_ , now?" Jadeite wined. "I'm trying to put off my homework."

"Most people would _love_ to be going to Oxford, Jade. It continuously _astounds_ me that you think it's unimportant." Nephrite drawled. Jadeite glared at him.

"Well, we _are_ about to start a war with a being that's thousands of years old. Do _forgive_ me if I don't fins the same amount of importance in going to school right now." He retorted, pale blue-grey eyes glinting with ice.

"Says the full-ride scholarship." Nephrite shot back, "Which _will_ go away if you don't take it more seriously." The history majoring blonde glared at the dual major harder.

"I can't _take_ it any more seriously than I am already. I haven't got a failing mark yet, so sod off."

It wasn't often that the second youngest knight's heavy Connacht-Irish accent came out, though when it did, it sounded like he'd walked straight out of a pub in county Claire... and it was _strong_. Just as strong (in Endymion's opinion as he watched the exchange with a foreboding kind of interest)- if not _more_ so than the Ulster-Scott's drawl that Nephrite started into when _he_ got pissed- or mildly annoyed. Honestly, most of the time they all forgot that the two were Irish and Scottish (his mother had moved herself, Nephrite and Hotaru back to Scotland after divorcing his father).

Actually, it was kind of funny, the reincarnated prince thought. He and Zoisite tended to bust out in a mix of (predominately, anyway) Japanese and English- well, for Endymion, Italian was also thrown into the mix, as Ukrainian was for Zoisite. Kunzite was Japanese, English and Russian, Jadeite had Old Gaelic (from _both_ sets of grandparents), and Nephrite had Celtic- from _his_ grandmother... then, there were the other languages- they _all_ spoke Greek and Latin and Japanese. Egyptian... some older languages- Sumerian (a _long_ \- dead language, but then so was the Mycenean Greek they sometimes found themselves talking in), and another language... one that didn't have a name, and (according to Helios) was far older than even Sumerian.

Endymion reflected on this. As Nephrite and Jadeite continued to bicker, their accents got thicker and thicker- they started arguing in a mess of languages... right up until Jadeite punched Nephrite in the face.

Not, Endymion thought, a good idea when it came to Nephrite. After all, he was- physically, at least- the strongest, and- despite his size- agile and quick. Hotaru had taught him _all_ sorts of different disciplines of martial arts, and he'd taken to it quicker than most.

Jadeite could- and _did_ \- hold his own against the brunette, though. He was quicker, still, with his slimmer build (not that Neph was much broader- he was the tallest, standing at 198.12 cm, with slightly broader shoulders, but, comparatively, they were all pretty much about the same build... Neph and Kunz were a _bit_ broader, but not by much- and Kunz was shorter). Endymion watched until a stray punch hit Zoisite, who, though he was _not_ the toughest- _was_ the quickest and most vicious (and _yes_ , that included Kunzite) of them- not to mention the fact that he had the quickest temper of the lot- though to be honest, none of them were all hard to anger. Case in point: this. Sensing that he'd get swallowed up in the fight if he stayed so close to it, he slowly backed up... right up until he got kidney-punched. Cussing, he fell.

His Italian temper snapped then, as he'd known it would, and he threw himself into the fight. The only one left was Kunzite, who was just wondering how in the _hell_ this went from lost memories, to college classes, to a fistfight in the span of ten minutes... right up until _he_ was punched in the face by Jadeite.

By the time Helios came in- he'd been talking to Luna and Artemis- the fighting was in full swing, cartoonishly playing out- complete with chairs being thrown around and other pieces of furniture overturned or broken. A pale brow shot up, but the high priest did nothing to stop it. Instead, he opted to go and make popcorn to watch the fight.

Artemis had come in with him, so cat and priest sat and watched the mayhem. "Are they... _always_ like this?" the feline guardian asked, bottle-green eyes on the silver-haired general. Helios snorted in humor, popping some popcorn into his mouth.

"They've _always_ been like this," he replied dryly, a humored smirk covered his face as he looked down at the cat and passed him the bag. "the princess and her guards just never saw this side of them."

"On purpose, I suppose?" Artemis drawled.

"How's your family settling in?" Helios asked, changing the topic. None of the 'heavenly kings' heard him. The cat chuckled, shaking his head as he answered. "Oh, they're fine. Are you sure this place is safe, though? For their families?" Helios grinned darkly now, as he contemplated the cat's question.

"That bitch has _never_ been able to come here. I don't care _what_ she's done to gain enough power to reform herself, but to her, Elysion is unreachable." He said grimly, though there was a faint sneer in his voice.

Artemis nodded. "Good." He said. "She's been especially worried about her family- actually, all of the families."

"They'll be safer here than they would be anywhere else." The Head Priest of Earth stated solemnly. Artemis sighed, and continued, dodging an empty flower pot being thrown at them ( _when_ did they get a flower pot, Helios wondered,) and rolled his eyes.

"Next question," Helios said, the cat blinked. "How are you planning on getting the _others_ here?"

"Oh... that's already taken care of... Luna, the outer scouts and I figured that one out a _long_ time ago." The devious smile on the cat's face slightly unnerved Helios, but he said nothing. Instead, he opted to shake his head, and sigh, as a tea-cup (again, _when_ did they get that kind of crockery?) flew past his head.

"and has the princess met her head scout?"

"No." Artemis hesitated. "Not yet. She's still... she's still got gaps in her memory."

"Ah... is it...?" he jerked his head towards the still raging fight. Artemis snorted.

"If _only_ it was just that. She'd be good. She doesn't quite remember the Silver Millennium times." He replied, paused. Looked at the fight, and then snorted. "And right now," he mused, watching the great high prince of Earth and his generals roll around like a pack of grade-schoolers, "I'm not sure I _want_ her to meet him."

"He _is_ seven years older than her," Helios grinned slyly. "Though honestly, in the long run... I don't think seven years matters all that much."

"Not as much as the _millions_ of years difference between you and _your_ yet-to-be-born lady, after all," Artemis stated dryly. Helios blushed dully, glaring at the cat. "There was nothing between her and me." He muttered.

"Yet," the at said simply.

Helios blinked, and scowled. The high priest then decided to do something totally undignified and unfit of his position as the high priest of Earth: he shot the cat a rather rude, _very_ human hand gesture. Artemis laughed.

" _Real_ mature, Helios." The cat sneered. The priest ignored him.

 _ **Somewhere in Greece, Same Time**_

It was beautiful here, Thisbe thought, as she walked along the beach. She'd never been anywhere half as lovely... though Russia and Italy came quite close... unless one was measuring by temperature in Russia's case. She made a face at the thought. Many a time, she'd been drawn to go with her parents when they were showing a play in Russia. She never quite knew why.

The hot, Mediterranean sun beat down on her. For now, she was alone (though to be fair, it wasn't really tourist season). So, she sat in the sand in cut off jean shorts and orange tank-top, completely comfortable despite the sunburn she was undoubtably getting.

She got comfortable, and sighed, closing her eyes, letting the lethargy from the sun overtake her senses. She'd be okay sleeping here, though. She'd never gotten into any trouble before that she couldn't get herself out of. Slowly, she drifted, letting her mind wander.

Twenty minutes later, the sound of someone running in the sand toward her made her indigo eyes crack open. "Thisbe! There you are!" she moved her head to the side as Cora's voice rang out. The fifteen-year-old ran towards her.

"Hey, Cora. Hwere's Leslie and Nino?" Thisbe asked her sister, though she'd lazily lay on the sand, eyes closed. She knew she'd have to get all the sand out later, but right now, she didn't care. She looked, Cora thought, like a contented cat basking in a sunspot. She giggled.

"I don't know... but mom wanted to see you," she said. Sighing in disappointment, Thisbe got up, and shook her long, golden hair out, opting to lazily follow Cora back to the hotel. Her eyes were half lidded, sleepy. She wasn't too happy about being woken up from her little catnap, either, but she wouldn't let that get to her.

She could always come back when she was done seeing what her mother wanted, after all, Bijoux LeFevre didn't ask much of her children, really. She smiled at the thought. Hell, she'd uprooted the whole family to Greece based on one of her children being the reincarnation of a warrior princess.

She giggled at the thought. Her? A warrior princess? Well, she could say that she was able to hold herself in a fight... and most thought she was superhumanly strong- and she guessed they were right... but still. She shook her head as she followed her baby sister.

 _ **Providence, Rhode Island**_

"I think it's time." Anahita blinked and looked up at her mother. She took off her reading glasses and cocked her head to the side. Her practically, pixie-cut blue hair barely brushed her shoulder. "Time for what, mom?"

"You're going, Anahita."

This sentence only served to confuse the poor girl more. "Uh... I'm going _where_?" she frowned. Miranda rolled her eyes at her daughter before answering.

"Simple, my little water-fairy," she replied. "Your senior trip. You're going."

This brought Anahita up short. "But... mom!" she protested. "I _can't_! there's too much to-"

"Dear, you can't spend your life in books- _or_ in an operating room." Miranda's eyebrow- shades lighter than her _own_ twilight blue hair- was raised. Anahita's jaw dropped.

Most parents would be ecstatic over their daughter (or child) studying. Not Miranda Barker. But she wasn't done yet. She pinned her daughter with a look. "It's your senior trip, dear. You didn't go to prom- or any other thing that you could've gone to but didn't. Honey, please. Go. Have _fun._ "

"I have fun _learning_." Anahita protested weakly.

"Learn about Greek history, then." Her mother grinned. "On the beach, with some attractive Greek teen. Or a classmate..."

"MOM!" Anahita gaped, her voice high and squeaky. "How _could_ you _want_ that?!" Miranda laughed.

"Dear, you've never dated. I'm not saying do what I did. I'm saying- for once, just go have fun."

"It's for _three_ months!" Anahita yelped. "I have to..."

"You've already been going to Harvard Medical School- you've been dual-enrolled for the last four years. You're starting your master's next You've got it on track."

Anahita sighed, pouting as she sat back down. She'd been out maneuvered, and she knew it. Dr. Miranda Barker may not have been any sort of medical doctor, but she knew how to outmaneuver her child-genius daughter.

From the other room, Ciara chuckled. She'd been prepared to step in- favoring Miranda, of course. Anahita didn't _ever_ take time for herself. Ever. It wasn't good for her. However, it seemed that her grand daughter didn't need any help with her daughter right now.

Anahita sighed. "Okay, mother." She mumbled. "I'll do it. For you." Miranda rolled her eyes at her daughter's use of the word _mother_. She only used it when she was pouting. Odd child, she chuckled at the thought.

Now, Anahita hardly ever pouted- or got angry. Usually, she was soft-spoken, shy and incredibly sweet and kind. However, this did not mean that she didn't have a temper. Because she did. Like Miranda, Anahita's was cold-frigid, in fact. She'd earned the nickname 'Ice Queen' at school when one of her classmates angered her.

She went on cooking after that, smiling at her victory. Her daughter really needed to act like a teenager, sometimes. Miranda sighed. Perhaps not as much as _she_ had (she rolled her eyes. Really, she wouldn't have changed anything, after all, it had given her daughter to her), but still. Sometimes, her baby snowflake seemed too old.

She's already signed the slip and had handed in the money for her daughter to go. She, herself, planned on going on a dig down in the ruins of Thebes, so it wasn't like she'd bee far away if her daughter needed her... and Ciara would be accompanying her, as well. The older woman had needed a break from America... or at least she'd said as much... she hadn't been anywhere besides America since moving there from Ireland when Anahita had been two years old. She missed Ireland, but she also knew that her grand-daughter and her great-grand daughter needed her still. Something told her, though, that she was not long for this world (perhaps that was her age, but at sixty-four, she doubted it)

Anahita sighed as she closed the door to her room after dinner. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to go- she did. But... she just didn't think it was a good idea. She was close to getting her masters' in pre-med... and next, her doctorate's degree. She was so close...

Despite the dreams (and night- terrors) she'd had since childhood, she was _so_ close... she smiled at the thought, even as she dutifully started to pack. Her mother had told her of the trip she was taking for work to the ruins of Thebes with her great-grandmother. This- for many reasons- made it easier for Anahita to go.

 _ **Elsewhere**_

Tova Romanov was gaping as she looked at the ticket in her hand. How the _hell_ had she ended up in Greece?! She was supposed to be meeting her family in St. Petersburg, and instead... well, she was here. In the _biggest_ flight fuck-up in history. She got her phone out of her pocket and dialed her mother's number, oh, god, what would her family say? The twins, she knew, would get a kick out of it (she sneered at the thought)... but was brought up short when her mother answered.

"Surprise!" her mother's voice rang through the phone like a bell, and Tova was even _more_ confused.

"Mom?" she asked. "What's going on?" Tatiana laughed.

"We all decided to send you to Greece for your eighteenth birthday! Happy Birthday, Tova!" Groaning, Tova rolled her eyes.

"Mom, you didn't have to _trick_ me."

Again, Tatiana laughed. "Of course, we did, storm-cloud," she laughed. "We wanted it to be a surprise! We knew you wouldn't question where you were going 'till you got there."

Tova slapped her forehead in exasperation and chagrin. Leave it to her family to abuse her sleepiness during trips to give her a surprise trip to Greece.

"Mama," she said slowly, "I... can't speak Greek." She sighed. Her mother- who seemed to be in a fit of giggles, right now, roared with laughter, and Tova tried not to smile herself. Her mother always had that effect on everyone around her.

"Tova, my little storm-spot," her mother finally calmed down enough to speak ( where she got these storm-based nicknames, Tova _never_ knew, but didn't question it- not when she tended to cause thunderstorms if she was upset), "I don't know how or why, but you know how to speak Greek."

This brought Tova up short. "Mom... no... I can't."

"You've been speaking Greek since you were a baby. You're good, honey." OF course, Tatiana didn't want to mention the Latin her daughter spoke as well... or any of the others... that wasn't to even mention the _dead_ languages she sometimes broke out in... hell, she broke out in Japanese from time to time. The most memorable had been when she was sixteen, when that Japanese woman had bought her lily-scented perfume. They'd carried on for a full _hour_ \- and Tatiana had had _no_ clue of what was being said. Later, she asked Tova, who looked surprised at her mother, but had told her.

With that, Tatiana gave her daughter her love, and directions to the place she'd be staying, and hung up. Tova glared at her phone in annoyance before she sighed, shaking her head. Thankfully, her mother had told her to pack her swim-suit- or she'd have to buy one... and wouldn't that have been fun? Having to exchange rubles to euros so soon?

She 'd have to regardless, she supposed, after all, she _was_ on vacation... wait, for how long?! The thought brought her up short, and she stopped in the middle of the airport- nearly causing someone to bump into her. She gaped at the realization. Her family was going to be in St. Petersburg for six months. Six Months... _**S H I T**_ was the only thing going through her mind on a loop for ten minutes after that.

Forget a hotel... she'd need an apartment. On her own... for six months... in Greece... she grinned giddily. It was the nicest thing they'd ever one for her. She chuckled gently before she left the airport. IT was time to find out where she'd be staying- and how close it was to the sea.

 _ **Elysion**_

The five men sat, all glaring at each other. Setsuna snorted at them- all seemed to be hurt in _some_ way- Even Kunzite, who (in Hotaru's opinion) Shouldn't have gotten _into_ the fight in the first place. He scowled darkly at Jadeite when she'd pointed that out. The latter smirked- albeit painfully- over a bruised jaw. Nephrite elbowed him in the ribs that he'd bruised earlier, and he hissed. It was Haruka who raised a blonde brow at her charge.

"Really, Neph?" she drawled. "Picking fights?" Endymion and Zoisite snickered with Jadeite. He snarled, giving them all a withering glare. Setsuna and Michiru cast a glance at each other, the darker-green haired woman shook her head.

"Grown men, _all_ of you." Michiru chastised. The five ducked their heads, trying to look repentant- even as they elbowed each other behind the table, acting like children. " _Jed_ started it..." Nephrite muttered rebelliously.

"And _I_ am finishing it." The pale-green haired Senshi snapped. "So stop, Neph. If Jed started it- as you _so maturely_ put it, you shouldn't have risen to his _bait_. Jed, if it _was_ Neph who started it, _you_ shouldn't have thrown that first _punch_."

"It's not like we destroyed the universe, or anything..." Zoisite mumbled, favoring his left arm which had been broken- damn it, Kunzite- in the fight.

"Except your arm," Hotaru drawled with a raised eyebrow. Zoisite shrugged. "It'll heal in a few minutes." He pointed out.

Behind them, Helios and Artemis snickered quietly. "And _you two_. Making Popcorn! _You_ should have broken the fighting up when you got back and saw it!" Michiru snapped at them. Helios put his hands up in the universal sign of peace, and Artemis winced. "You _stood there and watched them, eating popcorn!"_ she hissed.

"Actually, they were sitting." Endymion pointed out. Helios glared at him.

 _ **Kyoto, Japan**_

Hestia had been having dreams again... though these seemed to be telling her something _besides_ her past lives. These dreams told her that she needed to _go_. Go _where_ , she didn't know. She wondered if she'd ever know... after all, she'd looked into the fire for guidance before, only to come up empty handed- or, at least, when she looked to find answers... after she'd seen _him_ last year in the subway.

She'd felt the fire go silent... as if she _couldn't_ access the memories of him. She only knew he was important.

 _Damn it!_ She thought- the sudden flair of anger made the sacred fire behind her roar with the sudden flare of energy. She turned to glare at it. "Traitor," she hissed, smoky amethyst eyes narrowed dangerously. _Funny,_ she thought _I'm talking to_ _fire_ _, now. Like it can hear me._ She sighed. Maybe the gossips to ame to the temple were right. Maybe she _was_ crazy...

As if sensing her self-doubting thoughts, the fire showed her something... after _months_ of silence, it finally spoke. She sank to her knees in front of the fire. First, it showed her the man again, with his curly blonde hair, infectious smirk and wickedly gleaming eyes- eyes of a piercing and pale blue. She felt her heart stutter uncomfortably before it melted to that smirk.

She shuddered. Just one glimpse of his face outside her dreams, and she had this reaction? She'd _never_ felt such a... _base_ attraction to a man (or to anybody, really), before. It frightened her... and... she flushed guiltily. It _excited_ her. She trembled, but the fire wasn't done, yet.

It showed her ruins- Greek or Roman from the looks of them- a beach... she cocked her head to the side at the sign- it was in Greek, and it said... Thebes. A feeling raced through her as the third image appeared. Again, it was a person. A girl. About her age, with silver hair and bright, blue eyes with flecks of silver in them. Her unusual hair- like moonbeams, Hestia thought dimly, was pulled into twin buns, leaving long, shimmering strands. Odangos.

Immediately, a different feeling flooded her- the love of a sister- a need to protect... She stood and walked out for the room, in search of her grandfather. The fire was telling her something: she needed to go to Thebes. She guessed it was the Greek city and not the Egyptian city- after all, she thought, the temples she'd seen were a dead giveaway.

 _ **Tova Romanov**_

It wasn't a hotel, like she thought it'd be. No... it was a beachside villa. To herself. A beachfront Greek villa... Tova squealed like a little girl as she ran into it, heaving her bags inside as she did so- much to the surprise of her taxi driver. IT wasn't big... but Tova didn't _need_ big. It had two bedrooms, the master had it's own master bath. There were two other bathrooms besides that, one was a half-bath right off the living area, a fully stocked kitchen... and a garden. She didn't even attempt to control her own joy, and a fissure of lightning tore through the sky without a cloud there to cause it.

She _loved_ it... which was good, seeing as she'd be living here for six months. She shuddered with excitement and started unpacking. After she was done, she made herself a drink and sat on the patio. She checked her watch (which automatically changed time to the time zone she was in), and tisked.

Sleeping during the trip would prove to be a pretty good cure for any Jet-lag she might have had. She'd arrived at six in the morning- which was the time she normally woke up at anyway. She stretched and yawned before heading inside to change and grab her meditation mat.

She slipped on a pair of spandex shorts and a sports bra and pulled her hair up into it's usual ponytail. Then, she grabbed the green yoga mat and headed outside, barefoot, onto the white-sand beach. The morning sun was warm already, and Tova was thankful to her mother for sneaking sunscreen into her bag- after all, she didn't think that her pale, Russian skin would do so well without it.

She chuckled to herself as she slathered a good amount of the stuff on her pale-as-snow skin before she sat, cross-legged, preparing to meditate.

She heard, of course, the approaching footsteps as whoever it was walked over to her, and she _hoped_ it wasn't a beach boy looking for a flirt... not that many bothered flirting with her in the first place, but she had to digress.

"Mind if I set up next to you?" a throaty, feminine voice asked. Tova opened an emerald green eye and looked at the other girl. She seemed to be about her own age; a blonde with indigo blue eyes. She had a slight grin on her face and wore about the same thing as Tova. Tova, who was thankful that it _wasn't_ an interruption, nodded, a grin of her own spreading across her face.

"Meditation?" she asked, nodding towards the mat the blonde held. She shook her head, hesitated, then nodded.

"Meditation first, then Yoga." She answered.

Tova raised a reddish-brown brow. "Huh... yoga." She hadn't thought to add _that_ to her routine. "I guess we had the same idea... for the most part. I usually move onto Aikido after meditation.

"Without stretching?" the blonde cocked her head to the side. Tova smirked.

"Aikido _is_ stretching... at least, it is if you don't have a sparring partner." The other thought about it for a minute, then she nodded, and held out a hand.

"Thisbe LeFevre." She introduced herself.

Tova shook her hand. "Tova Romanov." She replied. They lapsed into silence as they both settled into their meditations. After that, Tova changed her plans from Aikido, opting instead, to do Yoga.

 _ **Jadeite Connolly**_

After getting chewed out the other day by the aunts, Jadeite decided to take a walk- _that_ would keep him out of trouble, right? Mostly, it was to give him some time to think. He didn't have much of a temper... for the life of him, he didn't understand why Nephrite's words had pissed him off so badly. He usually wasn't so quick tempered.

That was Zoisite's job. He smirked at the thought (and the disgruntled glare he'd get from the other man at the mention). Endymion and Nephrite were both pretty quick to anger, as well... though they'd both taken measures to keep themselves from flying off the handle- so to speak- at the slightest provocation. Jadeite and Kunzite were tied for the title of 'slow-burners' in the temper categories.

But, while Jadeite tended to snap into anger that was hot as fire (despite his control over ice), Kunzite's temper was glacially cold.

His thoughts were cut short as he neared the most glorious sight he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing. There, on the beach were two women- young. He'd put them around his age, actually, maybe within a year or two. They were dressed to work out in sports bras and those really small, tight shorts. Jadeite grinned with pure male appreciation. These girls were... beautiful didn't even _begin_ to describe them.

One was pale as new fallen snow with hair that was a deep red in the light of the Mediterranean sun. She was tall- probably within a few centimeters of his own height of 185.42 cm. the other was shorter with gold-dust skin and long, glistening golden hair. Both of them seemed to be twisting themselves into pretzels.

"Gods bless yoga..." he mumbled dumbly. He didn't approach though, he'd started to... and then, a feeling took over that he didn't understand.

They weren't... they were his brothers' women. His wasn't there yet. He frowned, puzzled. None of his brothers even _had_ women. Kunzite maintained that it was his job at fault for this- the few dates he _had_ had longer than a night all ended up breaking up with him- something about the all-nighters he had to take at his job.

Nephrite... well, they didn't talk about it after his ex- a woman named Maggie- had broken up with him (it was a _major_ soar spot for him). Zoisite and Endymion were always studying (though they had some trysts, as well- Zoisite was _well_ known for his player ways and bad-boy attitude... and he used it to his advantage _many_ a time... he may have been a serious student... but... well, he _never_ acted like he was outside their small circle of friends), and _he_ certainly didn't have anyone.

So, why did he feel like he was poaching _and_ cheating at the same time? _She's going to kill me..._ was all he could think over the warning bells. So, he left the beautiful sight, opting to return back to Elysion. He didn't mention what he'd seen at the beach- no longer in the mood- seriously, what was _wrong_ with him? He growled lowly, cursing in Gaelic before stomping to his room.

Zoisite, who'd seen the slightly older man come in raised an eyebrow. Jadeite wasn't usually so... moody. "What's up with him?" he asked no one in particular. No one answered his question, and he went back to his book.

A few minutes later, Nephrite came in. "What's up with Jed?" he asked- he'd passed the blonde in the hall. Zoisite shrugged.

"I don't know. He came in looking pissed." He replied. His green eyes narrowed, a smirk took over his face as a thought dawned on him. "Maybe he got rejected by some chick on the beach."

Nephrite snorted.

 _ **Hestia Kumogi**_

Hestia grabbed her suitcase from the conveyer belt with a sigh. After a long plane trip in front of an annoying (flirty) co-inhabitant of the side of the plane who seemed to think he was the gods' gift to womenkind (until she'd bluntly told him that she was underaged. _Maybe_ she'd lied by two years, telling him that she was 15, but really, who could blame her?), she was exhausted.

She planned the trip well, her grandfather had helped, and they'd managed to get it together in a surprisingly short amount of time- especially considering that she wouldn't be getting her inheritance until July, when she turned eighteen.

They'd gotten a villa on the beach rented. She'd have it to herself, as her grandfather wanted to stay in Japan- to keep the temple running. She didn't know how long it would take, this trip was for finding answers, after all.

She _still_ didn't know why she was here- what was so special about Thebes, anyway? It wasn't like it was the most _known_ city existence... the only story a bout it (or, at least, directly mentioning it) was the story of Oedipus Rex- and she _hated_ the story with a passion...

She made her way outside to the taxi that she had waiting to take her to her temporary home. Hopefully, it had a fireplace, she thought. She needed to figure out her next move... and _hopefully_ , it didn't involve a man-eating sphinx.

She made a face at the thought.

 _ **United States, Providence, Rhode Island**_

Anahita packed the night before the trip- she'd been too busy to do it earlier... reports to finish for her professors, and things like that. Thankfully, her mother and great-grandmother were there to tell her what to pack, she thought dryly... though at one point, her mother had looked into her suitcase, tisked, and then took her shopping.

To this end, they'd completely overhauled her choices in clothing... and had gotten her a swimming suit. Of course, she'd already had one... and she'd had it since she was fourteen. Her mother pointed that out with a raised brow, and Anahita had told her that she'd just thought if it ain't broken, don't fix it... or In this case: If it still fits, don't replace it.

This had _not_ flown with Miranda, who had glared at her, and had indeed commenced with the shopping trip from hell. She winced, remembering how much her feet had _hurt_ after that, as she closed the suitcase. "Anahita are you ready to go?" Miranda called up the stairs. The seventeen-year-old sighed in defeat. She couldn't _believe_ that she was really doing this.

She walked down the stairs, suitcase in one hand, carry-ons strapped onto her back and held by her other hand. Miranda grinned, holding her own bags. "we'll be on the same flights," she told her daughter. "So, if you have any problems, you've got me right there." She smiled as she watched her daughter help her great-grandmother.

They were finally ready to go, and they did so, making it with just enough time to get checked in and for Anahita to catch up with her class while her mother and grandmother went to meet with Miranda's associates.

Anahita smiled at the girl she'd be rooming with for the next three months, and they boarded the plane to Greece.

* * *

 **And chapter six is done. A bit shorter than some other chapters... but still pretty long. My original had a part in it that I thought shouldn't happen yet, because again, this is only part one of the reuniting sequence. Anyway. The girls are all in Greece...**

 **I wish** _ **my**_ **parents would spoil me like Tova's. and yes, her traveling habits are based off of mine. If I'm not the one driving... I'm in the back seat sleeping. Or in the plane sleeping...**

 **And with that, marks the end of part one.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading. Please review. AOP out!**


	7. Act 2 Mercury

**Okay, here's the** _ **real**_ **first chapter of Act 1- I changed it so that it makes more sense. I know you guys wanted to see Selene in the last chapter... but she was already** _ **in**_ **Greece at the time, and it wasn't time...**

 **Now, this 'act' so to speak (Yes, I did the 'act' part on purpose) is going to be** _ **mostly**_ **in Anahita's and Zoisite's POV, but not completely. Remember, this is a romance/drama... with** _ **multiple**_ **couples. I'm trying to slow it down a bit- because up till now, it's been a bit chaotic- but that's how it** _ **needs**_ **to be- and I tried to tone it down, but it just didn't** _ **want**_ **to tone down. Already, this thing's taken a life of its own. I'm just the conduit. Also, the Acts will be more than one chapter.**

 **I hope you like my Selene, though. I put a** _ **lot**_ **of thought into her... some of it is what I've conjectured about the Serenity of Silver Millennium (From the few flashbacks we had of her)... she was quite a bit different than Usagi- she still had an uncanny ability to draw people to her, was really sweet, and just... like, the best, but she didn't seem anywhere** _ **near**_ **as scatterbrained and- at least at first- immature as Usagi. Don't get me wrong. I like Usagi. I have a sister who's basically Usagi- but... yeah... Serenity just seemed different. Maybe it's because Serenity grew** _ **up**_ **royal,** _ **knowing**_ **her duties and who she was, and yes, Usagi** _ **does**_ **mature- after all, she started out 14 in the original manga/anime, so I guess... Selene is just... older. She's already grown** _ **past**_ **the stage of teenage insecurity and stuff.**

 **Thanks for the awesome reviews... it really doesn't matter that there don't seem to be that many, I cherish every one of them I get... you guys are awesome.**

 **Also, Side note: I** _ **may**_ **have to change rating later on, unless you lot think I should do that now... mostly because of language most foul (mostly the Generals and Endymion, but the Senshi aren't that innocent either- except for Selene- it's not her style...), and** _ **perhaps**_ **romance scenes. Let me know what you think.**

* * *

 _ **Act 2- Mercury**_

 _Chapter 1- Remembrance_

 _ **Thebes, Greece- Drakos household**_

She pouted a bit as she examined her cat. Her guardian... who wouldn't _tell her anything_. "Luna..." she whined, "You _said_ you'd explain it!"

For her part, the formerly humanoid cat rolled her maroon eyes. "Selene... I told you that I'd explain everything... when it's _time_. It's not time, yet. Selene's eyes narrowed a fraction more before she huffed, turning her face away from the cat.

After a few second of that, the pale-haired girl sighed, bowing her head, then turning her big, blue, _worried_ gaze onto the cat. "At least tell me why I can't remember everything?" she asked softly. She wasn't doing the puppy dog pout that she'd been known for since childhood, the cat knew.

She was _genuinely_ worried, and Luna could not blame her. The girl- no, young woman, now- was just as she had been as Usagi in her later years, just like Serenity had been at times. The girl was a ray of sunshine (ironic, being the princess of the moon), she brought light to everyone she met, and was beautiful inside and out- she'd _always_ been like that, in every incarnation, she _always_ retained her innately _sweet_ nature- with slightly different personalities. But, even the sunniest people could be worried. Selene was no exception, and the question was not just for her- and Luna knew that.

It was a question that she'd asked multiple times. One that, unfortunately, Luna couldn't answer... because _she_ didn't know. Was it because Selene couldn't handle memories from Serena, Serenity and Usagi? Was it because the memories were only accessible after meeting the inner sailor senshi, like it had been with Serena and Usagi? Or worse... were the girl's memories a catalyst for the dark things to come?

Luna sighed and shook her head. "Selene," she said gently. "That... is something I would _love_ to know the answer to, myself. But not even Saturn knows why."

The small young woman hesitated before she sighed as well. She dropped the pout- a look that reminded Luna so of Usagi and of Serena, and closed her eyes, shaking her head as well. "Luna... I... I'm scared." She whispered.

Luna knew that she was. The black cat could only guess at _how_ scared she was. After so many lifetimes... so much heartache...

They'd _just_ defeated Chaos... and Usagi had _just_ married Mamoru, before her death, for the gods' sake... _why_ , for the love of all that was good and holy couldn't she just _be happy_? This had been yet another reason why the cat was more than keen to keep the high prince of Earth _and_ his entourage _out_ of the whole thing.

It was too bad _that_ wasn't possible.

As loath as she was to admit it, Luna _knew_ what would happen should they go at this alone... or, at least she had an idea... After all, the Queen of Pluto was annoyingly closed-mouthed at the best of times- even if it _was_ for good reason.

So, Luna thought, her job right now was to keep the moon's soon-to-be monarch safe at _all_ costs... until she was joined by the inner sailor scouts.

 _ **Selene Drakos**_

Selene wasn't really one to harp on anything... or think too much into things. Honestly, she thought, as she shoved her hair out of the way, she liked to think she was pretty laid back.

Sure, her grades at school could use some work, but they weren't _bad_... besides, she was nearly graduated, anyway- at least, she would be next year... She _tried_ to be responsible about time management- something that she _knew_ that she was _not_ good at (at least, she hadn't been when she was Tsukino Usagi while living in Japan, or when she'd been Serena Balachandra in America).

She _knew_ who she was- and that was something neither of _those_ past lives had the advantage of... and while that made for more experiences and growth...

It also didn't leave much for growing on oneself.

As Serena and Usagi, she'd been distractible and overly emotional about some things- at least, at first- and while Selene knew that _she_ wasn't the epitome of focus and poise (laughable, really, she grinned to herself at the thought), she also knew that she had grown- from Usagi and Serena's growth... and from her _own_ growth as Selene.

However, she pondered the loss of knowing, as well. Both Serena and Usagi had been very... optimistic- well, they were for the most part, far more hyperactive than Serenity- though Selene thought that was more because of the times when they lived... and their ages.

Selene was more subdued.

Now, by no means was Selene a _pessimist_... but she knew that optimism could be a bad thing- when it reached a certain point. Neither was she lethargic. Selene liked to think she was more like the original incarnation of the moon princess...

and she knew (because she'd _asked_ ) that Luna agreed with her in this respect.

Selene lay back on her bed, a soft smile crept onto her face. She had not yet met her inner scouts... perhaps she could expend some magic... just to hurry it along. She giggled, cracking an eye open. Luna had- since their little quarrel- curled up on Selene's comforter, and gone to sleep.

A fine idea for such an uptight little being, Selene giggled, closing her eyes once more. She did, after all, present as much mischief as any of her other selves had... It was time to meet them... not in body, she thought, but in spirit. She dreamed... and she dreamed of going through a door. This was something that Haruka had taught her...

Astral Projection.

* * *

 _She walked down a hallway- silvery, very bright and very empty. Much like the Moon Kingdom's castle halls- the ones she'd walk through as a child and princess during the Silver Millennium... the ones that she'd snuck through later in life... just to get a glimpse of Earth... and her beloved._

 _She still didn't know quite who that was... though she remembered a pair of gorgeous blue eyes... shades and shades darker than her own. Like the oceans that she saw out the windows... but now wasn't the time for reminiscing on things that could not be fully remembered. She shook her silver hair and continued on her way._

 _She smiled as she came to the first door... the library. Odd, it was usually farther down... farther down the hall..._

 _Perhaps the gods wanted to show her something else, this time...?_

 _Cautiously, she opened it._

 _It wasn't a library... or, well, there wasn't a book in sight. In fact, it was a lake. Beautiful and blue, just like her sweet, shy friend who stood solitary in the center. She knew her name, here, where dreams ruled, though she also knew that she would forget when she woke. Still, she called out to her._

" _Anahita!" she shouted gaily, waving furiously to her._

 _The young woman turned at the sound of her name, eyes just as vibrantly blue as her hair blinked slowly, puzzled._

" _I'm sorry..." she said. "But... who are you?"_

 _Selene just giggled at the girl's silliness. "Why, you know who I am, silly," she said. "You just have to find me..." she sobered up a little, though her eyes still held the same soft, sisterly love in them as she reached out. "You must find me, soon. You're close."_

* * *

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

She woke with a gasp, jerking her head around. She must have startled the classmate in the seat next to her, because the other girl gave her an odd look. "Are... you okay?" she asked uncertainty, giving Anahita another surprise. She stared a bit at the girl, eyes blinking owlishly in confusion.

"I... yes. Sorry for startling you." She replied, trying to give the other girl a reassuring smile. "Just... an odd dream." The quizzical look the other girl gave her was reassuring, to be honest. She'd had, of course, had vivid dreams like that before...

But certainly not on a plane filled with people... most of whom already thought her an oddity. She sighed and picked up a book. She was no longer sleepy- that was for sure, so she opted to read. She was used to dreams that featured people... the same girl who'd been in this latest dream- long silver hair and blue eyes, then there was the golden-haired girl who she'd once called her leader... the mahogany-haired Amazonian who she'd laughed with... the raven-haired priestess who'd seemed so mysterious. All of whom she'd called sister... and the man.

But god, he was beautiful... long, thick, wavy hair that seemed to take so much work (in reality, she knew that he didn't take any special time on it- farther than tying the long, ash-and-ginger strands in a low ponytail, he did not care about it), leaf green eyes... tall- almost lanky- though she knew- and she blushed slightly- that he was not at all lanky.

She knew his voice- low with a smoky edge to it. Smooth. She knew he was warmer than most Terrans...

She didn't notice that her eyes had gone dreamy and far away...

Her shiver went unnoticed by her row-mate. However, the tremor was still there, as awareness prickled up her spine. She remembered him in more detail than the others of her dream-scapes in a way, and at the same time, she knew _nothing_ about him... not really.

When she heard the call for the descent, she blinked, ripped out of her revere. Actually, she jerked, and startled the other girl in her row yet again. She flushed and apologized, embarrassed by her lack of awareness.

"No problem," the other girl- Anahita thought her name was Macy- said. "It's a _long_ trip. I'd actually be more surprised if you _weren't_ a bit out of it." She grinned.

Anahita just chuckled as they buckled their seat belts. She was glad to have someone on the trip that didn't think she was a _complete_ freak. Having Macy as a roommate might actually be good... to be completely honest, the girl reminded her of the gold-haired girl she saw frequently. The one with the bow in her hair.

They were finally touching down in Greece- after _three_ different switches (and the chaos that went with trying to herd about 110 young-adults between the ages of seventeen and eighteen with the attention spans of two-year-olds, and minds set on vacation), multiple cases of airsickness and claustrophobia and acrophobia among _other_ things, they were finally... _finally_ in Greece.

Anahita had _never_ been so happy to be on solid ground. She said as much, and Macy, who'd heard her mumbling, laughed as she agreed with her sentiments.

By the time they had eaten, got to the hotel in Thebes, checked in and got everything organized, it was 9:00 at night, and both Anahita and her roommate were tired. They dragged themselves into the room, and sighed, looking at the two beds.

"D'you want the window?" Macy asked, her words slurring a bit. Anahita shook her head.

"Sun'll get in my eyes in the morning... s'annoying." She mumbled back, letting out a great yawn as she spoke.

"Fair 'nough."

They fell into the beds without changing.

 _She was dreaming again, just like on the plane. She was in a library, though she was not alone. She felt before she saw the arms wrapped around her. "Good afternoon, love." The purr of his voice made her ears heat up. He chuckled, noticing. He nipped at her neck, and she gasped_

" _Soon, little one, we'll meet again..."_

 _He said this even as he turned her around and kissed her, softly, gently. Anahita sighed..._

 _He took that as invitation to deepen their embrace. She groaned, her whole body heating up as she twined herself around him, silently, she pleaded for him to keep going as his hands ran along her armor-covered body..._

 _And the scene changed._

 _It was disorienting._ Frustrating, _almost. She as alone, in the middle of the lake where she'd first seen the silver-haired girl on the plane. In the middle of the lake, just... waiting. There was no lover waiting._ She _was waiting for her sister, her friend, her princess._

" _Anahita, you're needed!" the girl's voice rang out._

" _I don't know what you mean!" she called back, desperately looking around for the voice's owner "What do you want_ me _to do?"_

"Find _me!"_

"Where?!" _she screamed, now she was running, trying to get to the voice. The problem was... it came from all around her... in all directions. She sank to her knees._

" _Anahita!"_

She woke with a start, blinking slowly as she looked around. It was daytime. Macy was already up, as well. Her bed next to the window (where the blinding sunlight was shining through) was messy- pillows everywhere, sheets twisted. She groaned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up, and reached for her phone.

And gasped as she looked at the time. It read 8:00. She just looked amazed. 10 _hours_ of sleep? When had that _ever_ happened? She _never_ slept that late. She shot out of bed as though it had burned her, twilight eyes wide. "Oh my god..." she whispered, running to the shower.

It seemed that Macy already had bathed (that, or she was waiting until the night to do so), because the water was hot. Good thing, too... because despite herself... the 'ice queen' (as her classmates called her) liked her showers hot- near scalding, in fact... and _long_.

She loved the water... always had. And it seemed to love her back. Even the ocean (Though _she_ was more of a freshwater girl) called to her... always had. And then there was her power over the element. Didn't matter what type of water it was... she could control it.

She ended up taking a shower that was an _two and a half_ hours long (thank _god_ for hotel showers, because the water would have gone cold a _long_ time ago at home) before she could bring herself to get out. She did so with a sad sigh... and as she wrapped a towel around her torso, a memory suddenly came to mind... one that she did _not_ remember actually doing... was dragging her back.

 _He held her against his chest, the shorter waves of his hair tickled her cheek as he leaned down towards her ear._

" _Later, I'll take you to my favorite lake, princess. We can go swimming..." his low, husky voice held promises that she did not understand. Puzzled she frowned, though his hands found their way around her waist and locked, pulling her farther into him. She blushed._

" _I did not bring the proper wardrobe for that, my lord..." she whispered, even as she sank into his chest._

 _He chuckled darkly, nipping at her ear. "Whoever said anything about_ clothes _, little water nymph?"_

" _That is not... we should not... It is against the law..." but even as she said it, she could only wonder... how could something that felt so right be wrong?_

Anahita blinked herself back to reality. Dear god... while she was _awake_ , now? Would she get _no_ reprieve from this constant... _nightmare_? Because that's what this was... She didn't _care_ how hot he was... how gentle.

Because in the end, she knew that he would be her undoing. She snarled in frustration as she got dressed. In cutoff blue jean-shorts and a white tank top that she paired with some sandals. Her hair- still in the pixie cut she preferred (shorter than the one she had in her dreams), was messy as she couldn't find her brush. She grabbed the second key-card that Macy had left out for her on the nightstand between the two beds and left the room with her blue messenger bag.

Outside of checking in every night, the seniors on the trip were pretty much free to do whatever they chose, so long as they didn't get into trouble. Most of them- being in an exotic land- chose to explore, and Anahita was no exception.

In her case, if she was to be there... for four months... (Due to popular vote, it had been changed to four months because _why_ not? they were graduating!), she needed to find a library. Quickly. She may not be able to check _out_ the books... but, perhaps she could work something out with the staff.

It was worth a shot, anyway... she sighed as she stepped into the muggy, warm air of the Mediterranean morning

The streets were crowded- very much so, after all, it was tourist season- and to be honest, Anahita was a bit annoyed about it- as small as she was (five feet, two inches- and _that_ was pushing it), she got jostled around- a _lot_.

She was in an open marketplace- something that Anahita would have to check out later, or, well, in a few hours, provided that she did _not_ find what she was looking for. Which she did, a few minutes later. The sign for the library was written in Greek (thank god she knew _that_ one, fluently), and she smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Sanctuary, at last." She murmured to herself as she stepped into the (significantly colder than outside) building, and looked around, obvious pleasure on her face at her discovery, and proceeded to lose herself in the world of books.

 _ **Zoisite Siryvovk**_

It wasn't as if Elysion didn't have a library- it _did_. Fully stocked with books on every subject (most of the... newer than beyond ancient books had been collected by Helios throughout history). However, Zoisite _needed_ to get out.

Sure, he went to his classes- though not every day- and yes, he had _other_ friends besides his brothers... but today, he felt the need to go... something was pulling him into the city today. And really, after all that had been happening in the last two years... who was _he_ to deny fate?

"You're heading out then?" Zoisite turned to Jadeite with a grin.

"Have to, something's calling me." He replied to the other blonde. Storm blue eyes narrowed as Jadeite examined the youngest (by _two months)_ of the Shitennou. After a few minutes of staring, as if trying to decide if it was safe (Which was ridiculous. Zoisite was _more_ than capable of taking care of himself... but he did the same thing where any of the others were concerned, so really, he couldn't talk), and then nodded.

"Be careful," he muttered before turning.

 _Still so moody_ , Zoisite thought, so he stopped, green eyes narrowed. He frowned at the other blonde. "You've been in a mood, lately, Jade. Honestly, this is more Kunzite's thing... or Nephrite's thing. What's wrong?" the blonde hesitated, then sighed, knowing that, for Zoisite, it was completely pointless to hide information.

What he didn't know, he'd find out, and really, it was kind of annoying to think about. "I... don't know." He answered, honestly, because, really, he didn't. He'd seen the two gorgeous women on the beach and hadn't been able to force himself to even go up and talk to them.

Part of him wondered if _they_ were a part of this... but if so... how? These were questions he couldn't answer. He looked at the other man, eyes narrowed. "I'm trying to figure it out." He finally said.

Zoisite, sensing truth, shrugged. "Let me know if you need help with that." He said, and Jadeite nodded, and walked away. The longer haired general stared after his friend for a few more seconds before he shook his head and turned back to the entrance of Elysion.

Ten minutes later, he was at the library in Thebes, browsing through the shelves. He'd been here enough times that the librarians all thought he _lived_ here (which was true, he thought with a grin, but not quite true at the same time). He chuckled to himself as he continued searching.

The conversation that had ended up in a fight had been in the back of his mind for the last few days, and he wanted answers... answers that _weren't_ 'you'll remember when you're ready.' (Sorry, aunt Setsuna). His pale green eyes narrowed a bit in annoyance, a bit galled that Setsuna _still_ thought him a child.

So lost in his own ire and annoyance was he, that when the small bell jingled, signaling someone else had entered the library, he nearly- _nearly_ jumped. His eyes darted to the door, narrowed, body tense and waiting for a fight, right hand moving to the side, where he kept the dagger. His senses were on high alert as he felt the energy pouring in like water.

Then, he stopped, eyes widening, body relaxing, as a young woman walked through the door.

By the gods, he thought, she was exquisite. He blinked a few times. He'd _never_ thought that about a girl before (Beautiful, yes. Sexy? Definitely. Pretty and cute had happened as well. _Exquisite_? That one had yet to happen), but this one... she was short- far shorter than him, and he was the shortest of the group- at 183cm even. if he had to guess, she was about 157 cm, petite and slim. Her hair as blue as the sky in early twilight ( _when_ had he gotten so... _poetic_? He thought dumbly- that was more... Jadeite's thing) that was cut short and artfully messy, with skin as pale as the new fallen snow (again with the poetry?).

The most confusing part of this?

He had the _insane_ urge to go over, wrap her in his arms, and kiss her senseless. He _knew_ her. He locked his muscles down, fighting the need to go over to her, and just stood there. She didn't even seem to notice him, though he could not keep his eyes off of her.

There were only two thoughts in his head right at that moment: the first was screaming _finally_... the second, darker thought that worried him on a detached level, because he _knew_ his own weaknesses, was: _mine. She's_ _ **mine**_ **.**

Immediately, he shrunk away, shaking his head as he retreated into the bookshelves before she could see him staring at her like some fucking psycho- stalker- or before he could do something stupid, and teleported back to Elysion. He was winded when he got back, his head started to pound, deep, aching with surpassed memories long since held back. Ironically, it was _exactly_ what he'd been wanting...

He Ignored his brothers' looks of concern, he left the room, face pale and drawn- head aching, all but running to his retreat, the one place he could be that he knew his brothers wouldn't follow him- they _all_ had a place.

For Jadeite, it was Agartha, a place near Earth's core- really only he knew how to get there, and he had never told any of them how to get there.

For Kunzite, it was Baltia, a place that was completely made of Amber, even the old ruins of the palace were made of the stuff. This was where an ancient temple stood, dedicated to Aphrodite- ironic, as the man didn't put much stock in love.

For Nephrite, it was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon... though _he_ did not have _any_ idea how to take care of plants... actually, growing up, everything he'd tried to grow (or help his aunt grow) usually ended up dead and withered within the first week.

For Endymion, it was Nysa, the former home of the Nymphs, the place where (at least, according to the aunts) Endymion of the Golden Kingdom had met Serenity of the Silver Millennium.

For Zoisite, himself, it was Kitezh- an ancient city beneath the waters of Lake Svetloyar... and, like the others (with the exception of Endymion), only he knew how to get there... he didn't know _why_ he went there- none of them had any idea of why these places- long since thought never to exist- drew them. But, the underwater city was... important.

It was to Kitezh that he headed now, to get away from... whatever had happened in the library of Thebes. He wanted to understand what was going on... and he would. He'd be damned if he didn't, he thought, even as the girl who he'd seen for a nanosecond became seared into his memory.

He barely got to his sanctuary before the memories bombarded him. HE dropped to his knees, holding his head as it seemed to explode, and he lost consciousness.

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

It was afternoon before she was out on the streets once more, her bag filled with a few books- she smiled, victorious, at the fact. It hadn't taken much convincing, to be honest... she'd been in longer debates with her mother over coming here than with the librarians over being able to take the books with her.

After all, she had reasoned, the library was a place of learning... but she also wanted to go to the beach- which, consequently, was where she was headed now. She still had time- after all, it was only two in the afternoon- well, by _everyone but the United States'_ time, it was 14:00. She chuckled a bit to herself.

She smiled gently as she walked through the streets, her eyes took on a dreamy quality as she lost herself in her own thoughts... they wandered back to the library. Back to the odd sensation she'd had as she'd walked in the door... how, for a few seconds, her whole being- body and soul- seemed to scream in yearning. Her heart had skipped a beat... and all she could think in those few seconds was _there you are_. At the same time, another part of her was screaming to get the hell away from the place.

Though lasting a few seconds- and she'd spun around to find where that feeling was pulling her towards- a bookshelf closer to the back of the building- the books in this area were all on psychology- and looked around. There was nothing there. She frowned to herself...

And then, ran right into someone. She felt the force of it knock her- and the other person- over. "Ohmygosh, I'm _so_ sorry!" she heard the Greek exclamation as she rubbed her head. She shook her head, frowning as she tried to clear her confused vision- she'd knocked her head on the other person's.

"No... it's okay. I was at fault." She replied as she blinked out the dots in her vision and looked at the other girl. And then continued to stare.

It was _her_. The girl from her dream on the plane. Long, silver hair that pooled on the cobblestone, done up in identical buns on either side of her head (She'd never seen that hairdo before), and expressive, light blue eyes that seemed to have flecks of silver in them, pale skin- as pale as hers was, actually- odd for someone in Greece, and it seemed to give off a subtle glow.

Smaller than even she was- this girl seemed to be only about five feet tall. Shakily, she stood, her eyes still wide, until their eyes met. The girl gasped, and then, she smiled. "Ah. I guess neither of us were paying much attention," she giggled. Anahita nodded dumbly (not a term she would usually use to describe herself, but her brain had seemed to stop working right at the moment).

The girl smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Selene Drakos." She introduced herself. Numbly, Anahita took it, and shook it, answering in kind.

"Anahita Barker." She whispered. Selene smiled sweetly. "I know." She said. Her eyes seemed to take on a different quality. Anahita could feel power behind those eyes- power that _she_ herself, possessed... though Selene seemed to carry... more.

"It's nice to finally meet you, again, Anahita." Anahita could do nothing but nod.

 _ **Zoisite**_ _ **Siryvovk**_

He sat against the walls of the long-abandoned city's outer wall. His head was back against the alabaster stone, his eyes closed and wet.

He'd said it himself, a few days ago... _maybe we've blocked it_.

Oh, god, he wanted to block it again. His breath came out in dry sobs (it was a _real_ good thing that Nephrite and Jadeite weren't here- they'd never let him forget that he'd been _crying_ ). He _knew_ her. He _loved_ her. At least... he'd loved her in his first life, as Zoisite, the knight of Purity and Healing (he held the same title now, but he'd been different _then_ ). He'd also been the one to systematically wipe out her _entire_ planet.

His hands shook as he contemplated this.

He remembered meeting her here- long ago, when he'd been the one drafted to look for Endymion while he'd been on one of his escapades with Serenity- they'd come here, to this city for a date... and had run into Mercury- Princess Anahita of Mars.

He'd been smitten- completely taken by this quiet, sweet princes that was so damn _smart_ that it took his breath away.

He remembered just _how_ Beryl had managed to overtake his mind... How it had started out so slow, but she'd found a chink in his mind's defenses... through _her_. The bitch had used his sweet, precious Anahita to get to him, to pry his loyalties away from his prince... caused him to plot to _kill_ his own damned monarch...

And worse still (though he knew at this point _that_ thought was _bad-_ showing him that his loyalties had really lain with the Mercurian princess, and _not_ completely with his prince), she'd forced him to _kill_ the woman he loved.

He'd remembered his last moments already, thanks to Helios, two years ago. He'd remembered the agony and grief he'd felt as he held her in his arms watching her die (at the time, he'd thought it was because he had realized that he'd betrayed Endymion, and it had woken him from Beryl's grasp for a few seconds) had promptly taken his sword and, ending his own life. The clarity had not come from realizing that he was a traitor.

Gods, so many things he remembered... they were flying through his mind at top speed, making him nauseous. He could not think. He could barely breath... what had he _done_?

"Zoisite..."

His eyes, wild with emotion looked up at the sound of his name, he looked at his aunt the same way he had when he'd recovered the first half of his memories. Setsuna sighed as she looked at her ward... the man she'd helped to grow.

"You knew..." he croaked.

She nodded. "Yes. I knew... though the gods know I did _not_ realize how it would affect you." She replied. Sighing, she crossed over to him, and sat next to him. "I did not realize the love you had for her..." she started slowly. "When my sisters died that last time, I only started to realize... when I saw the shattered piece of zoisite crystal that lay beside her body." She shook her head.

"Before that, I... I _hated_ the Zoisite that came before. I wanted him- and the others- to suffer for what they had done to my sister... honestly, it wasn't until I held you as a baby- the you that is here now, sitting in the dirt outside of an ancient, all-but-forgotten city- that I truly began to forgive your previous incarnations for what happened."

"How?" he whispered, "How did you forgive me... when I can't?"

At this, the green-haired woman chuckled softly. "It is said that _we_ as individuals are our own worst enemy. I can forgive you, Zoisite, because you are not _him_. Not the one that killed my sister in the Silver Millennium. I can forgive _that_ Zoisite because of what he did in the last few minutes of his life to atone for the wrong he had done." She smiled gently.

"This... it is not the end of the world, Zoisite. It is merely another chance to set things right. Back then, the love you held for Princess Anahita in the Silver Millennium was doomed. You knew it... you fought it- I trust you remember that? In fact, you held out the longest of your brothers, despite not having Nephrite's abilities of seeing the truth of fate in the stars..."

He nodded slowly. She continued. "I do not know what made you snap- what made you cross the line, but because you knew that it was taboo to love someone from a different planet, you tried to bury it... deny it... and for a time, you succeeded."

"That was how _she_ got to me." He said, finally speaking in a normal tone, though his voice was still as jagged as broken glass. "Beryl, I mean. She used it to get to me. _She_ caused me to weaken my resolve..."

"No, she didn't. She chose to get to your mind through that, but she did _not_ weaken your resolve to stay away from her."

"You _told_ me... Why didn't I believe you?" he said, abruptly changing the subject. Setsuna sighed. Knowing Zoisite as she did, she knew his reaction to this would be much the same as what he had tried- and failed to do in the Silver Millennium- he'd try to keep Anahita at arm's length, distancing himself. She shook her head, chuckling to herself in her mind- she knew how _that_ would end.

"I told you what I knew- in the guise of a fairy tale when you were a child because I thought it might be easier on you now." She replied. "Of course, you had a hard time believing them.

They lapsed into silence after a while. He was getting himself under the control he was well known for. Setsuna knew her little boy (she'd been the one to raise him, after all), and she knew how he would play this. "You'll have to work with her, you know." She said it softly. He stiffened. She could almost _hear_ the _OH SHIT_ in his head, and smirked.

"They're part of this as well, Zoi. They always were." He winced at the censure in her tone.

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

She stared at the other girl, blinking rapidly. "You're the first I've found! I'm so happy." Selene giggled as she hugged Anahita, who stiffened. This was just too bizarre. Anahita shook her head, trying to comprehend this... _thing_ that was happening.

"I... _what_ is going on?" she asked- perhaps more harshly than she should have. She pushed the girl away, her eyes wary. Selene blinked, a look of hurt came to her face. Anahita immediately felt bad for doing it, but... really, what was she to do, when a strange girl that you'd only seen sleeping hugged you?

"I apologize for that." She whispered softly. The girl smiled sweetly, though she still seemed a bit more subdued than she had been a few seconds earlier.

"No... don't apologize. I shouldn't have done that. It must have been a bit shocking. Being hugged by a girl you don't even know... well, you know my _name_ , but you don't know me." She chuckled, then brightened. "Hey, I know! there's a really nice shaved-ice stand near here. Come on, we'll get some, and talk more." The abrupt change of mood (and subject) once again threw Anahita off, and she just blinked at the girl.

"I was... headed to the beach..." she said it hesitantly. Selene just giggled again.

"That's _perfect_! We can go get some shaved ice and walk on the beach!"

That... honestly didn't sound like a half-bad idea to the blue-haired teen, so she smiled and nodded. "all right." She replied. Immediately, Selene gasped, and pure joy seemed to radiate from the girl. Startled by the warmth that the look had flowing through her, Anahita blinked, her smile waned.

"Oh, wow! Has anyone told you how pretty you are when you smile?" a soft pink took to Anahita's cheeks, suddenly, she felt awkward... so, she did the only thing she could think of, and she looked at the ground, the near-crippling shyness that she often felt around people in general overtook her.

"I... um..." she couldn't really think of anything else to say to this small, sweet wrecking ball. Honestly, this girl was like a one-woman army of sweetness. Calling Anahita pretty when she herself was gorgeous?

"You should smile more, you know." Selene said as they got and paid for their snack. "I bet a _lot_ of people would like to see it."

Anahita simply had nothing to say to that. She stayed silent the rest of the way to the beach. The salty-sweet air of the ocean invaded her senses, and she took a deep breath. She didn't notice that the soft smile crept up onto her face again as she stood there, eyes closed, breathing in the fresh saltwater air. God, she was _so_ close to the ocean... to _water._

Selene giggled watching her soon-to-be friend enjoy the Mediterranean. While she knew that the _sea_ was actually Michiru's domain, she also knew that Sailor Mercury- the girl standing there- was in control of _all_ water- not just freshwater. She hid a knowing smile.

"You were in my dreams. Calling out to me." The girl said it softly. Selene nodded slowly, though she knew that Anahita was not looking at her.

"Yes." She replied. "I was. You found me."

"I'd have to say that was the other way around, Selene... but I do have to ask... _why_ have you been looking for me? _How_ were you able to appear in my dreams?" She frowned slightly as she turned back to look at the smaller woman (though she was only smaller by about an inch). Selene just smiled, but she answered the question.

"Astral Projection... it's one of my more... mundane talents. Easy to do, not a lot of energy to expend- especially while I'm sleeping." She replied. "Though _I_ can't control water like you." She giggled as a dull flush spread across Anahita's face again.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." she mumbled. Selene rolled her eyes.

"I suppose you don't have _dreams_ , either? That you don't wake up sometimes, thinking you're someone else, wondering where you are?" she rebutted dryly. At this. Anahita tensed. Her eyes shot open, and she gaped at Selene.

"How...?" she gasped, looking around to make sure no one had heard them.

Selene smiled serenely. "Come with me, Anahita Barker. I'll explain everything to you." She held her hand out, and Anahita nodded. The reincarnation of the princess of the moon turned around and started walking.

Anahita followed.

* * *

 **Well...** _ **that**_ **took a while. Anyway, I'm going to start answering your reviews... they'll be here- at the bottom, so that my already** _ **packed**_ **intros don't get** _ **too**_ **horribly long. Besides, you lot have some pretty good questions.**

 **College n Curls: Thanks! I'll** _ **try**_ **and slow it up... but I** _ **may**_ **just make a whole one-shot drabble series on the memories that return to them... We'll see.**

 **ameriar- First: thank you... and I totally get it (I do that, too), with the reviewing thing. The 'everyone's story in one chapter' thing is going to be...** _ **less**_ **overwhelming, I promise. Second: Well, like the series, Selene has Luna, and Thisbe has Artemis... but I get what you're asking, and the other answer is: The girls were never at a risk of being taken over by Metalia.** **Metalia will not go after the Senshi- she hates them too much. Wants them to suffer too much. She'd sooner try the Generals again- and I'm not saying that's gonna happen... because** _ **I**_ **don't know what's going to happen... it's not that she** _ **likes**_ **the generals either, though... and the girls- as** _ **non -**_ **Terran entities- are not as malleable as the guys were in their first life. Humans- or, at least** _ **Terrans**_ **are weak-minded individuals who are kinda like sheep- if someone in power says: this is wrong, like mindless drones, groups follow (look at Hitler, with his 'all of** _ **these**_ **people- Jews, and, like,** _ **everyone that ain't German**_ **\- are evil and need to die' thing)**

 **ameriar, again: yeah... I need to change that... it's still the prologue chapter. There** _ **will**_ **be different POVs here (as stated in the intro), but... it's mostly going to be Anahita and Zoisite... Now, on to the other question: No. Minako (Thisbe) does** _ **not**_ **recognize Makoto (Tova). They are not familiar with each other's faces- they** _ **know**_ **that they aren't fighting alone in the nightmares... but when they wake up... the appearances are... blurred. It's magic. Like how no one knows Usagi is Sailor Moon... or how Ash Ketchum and Co.** _ **never realize it's team freaking rocket (**_ **Ash is** _ **not**_ **the only one) in** _ **every damned episode.**_

 **merendinoemiliano: thanks on both counts**

 **Astraearose silvermoon: I'm glad you enjoy it.**

 **lucel18: ...it's... uh... It's not during the Silver Millennium... or during Crystal Tokyo- Both S.M. and C.T. were totally destroyed. Since the whole thing blew up in everyone's faces... well, Earth had to rebuild itself- not on the same level as S.M.'s total meltdown, but yeah. This is set... in a time that both exists and does not exist. Think of it like... early 2000's mixed with a 1960's hippie-stoner that's** _ **completely**_ **smashed. I have** _ **no**_ **clue** _ **what**_ **the hell I'm doing, or if everything's an illusion.**


	8. Mercury part 2

**_I'm BAAAAAACKKKK! Anywho, this was a pain in the ass... and I'm sorry it took so damn long... it just didn't want to come the hell out. Which may also have had something to do with all the shit that I've been dealing with in the time between chapter 7 and chapter 8... I got 2 jobs, and then quit one so I could have some me time. My car (anemic pos that it is) took a dump on me... and I moved... and got like, four new roommates. so, chaos all around. All my stories have been suffering... so... yeah._**

 ** _I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THE FRANCHISE... OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MAY POP UP. If I did... Shit, I'd be rich. Head to toe Prada- Benz in the driveway, yacht in the water... (and I don't own_ that _sentence, either-_ that _is a song called I'd Be Rich.)_**

 ** _Less input from the boys, this time- they've got a (maybe) two page skit. I did add Tova and Hestia, though._**

 ** _And, As always, if you left me a comment, I've got a response at the bottom of the chapter, so check that out._**

* * *

Act 2 Mercury

 _Chapter 2_

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

The snow-cones were delicious, and perfect for a walk along the hot, white-sand beach. While Selene was talkative (in Greek, of course- thank _god_ that Anahita was fluent), Ana herself was silent. She'd always been less talkative- even in class, she kept her head down- and had _despised_ it when a teacher would call on her for an answer.

Which they _always_ had. She made a face before she realized what she was doing, and Selene (who was far more perceptive than anyone would ever think by looking at her) sent a curious look at the blue haired woman. "You okay?" she asked quietly. "I'm not… boring you am I?" she sounded so hesitant, that Ana winced.

"No. Sorry… I was just… thinking about something."

Selene grinned. "Let me guess…. School?"

Surprise came to Ana's face as she looked at the younger woman. "Uh… how…?"

Selene laughed merrily. "Well, that's the only thing that would put that look on _my_ face… even though I get okay grades." She replied. "Though, knowing you, you were probably at the top of your class… and you _liked_ going to school every other time I've met you… so…. I'm going to guess it's _less_ about school… and more about…. Hm… you're quiet, so… teachers calling you out in class?"

Ana was startled by multiple things in that comment- the first of which had been that she'd _never_ met this girl in her life, so… how the hell did she know so much about her personality…. And the fact that Selene had mentioned knowing her already.

The memory of the dreams burst forward- each one was a bit different, though… in one, she had hair like pure gold and her eyes had been a bit darker. The next memory was still quite similar to the first, though the hair and eyes were just a bit lighter…. More platinum blonde than gold, and more summer blue than sky blue. She shook it off.

"Um… well… yes, actually." She mumbled, more than a bit confused. Her temples actually started to hurt with the exertion of remembering things she'd long forgotten. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Her own eyes, (always shades darker) met the pale silver-blue of Selene's. "But… how do you _know_ me? I've never met you in my life- aside from…."

"The dreams?" Selene smiled- slyly, as if she knew _exactly_ what was going on. Her eyes suddenly seemed to go far away. "Yes, well, _you're_ the scientist… so… what do _you_ think is going on?" When she looked back at Ana, her eyes were sharp, the look in them was not the look of a girl on the cusp of adulthood, rather, it was that of a woman who had been around longer than anyone else. The ancient knowledge seemed to seep from Selene, despite the carefree way she presented herself.

Ana hesitated, sensing that if she were to answer (truthfully), her whole life- her whole _outlook_ on life- would be forever changed. Selene obviously noticed the look on her face and grinned wryly. "You don't have to answer right now. It's a lot to take in, and I don't think you're quite ready for that… not yet, anyway."

The two looked over the beach, the small breaker waves that were crashing at the high tide. Selene let out a soft sigh. "Instead, why don't I tell you one of our myths?" her sweet smile was still in place as she examined her companion. Ana shrugged, and that seemed to be all Selene needed to start on the story.

"It's an old one- goes back to the time that my people- the people of Greece- or, as we _actually_ call our country- Hellas- worshiped the pantheon. Back then, there were two deities that presided over the moon- the first was Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt and wild animals… among other things. The second… was Selene."

This was not exactly new to Ana- she'd studied the different pantheons endlessly (especially as the dreams started in her childhood). She knew of the gods; she knew most of their stories. From Greece to China, Egypt to the old English, French and German, Aztec to Mayan and everything in between. Selene (the goddess) had been mentioned… but there wasn't much of her, save one myth.

The silver-haired girl smiled at the knowledge in Ana's eyes, but continued, anyway. "They say that one night, as she moved across the sky, she spotted a man sleeping in the fields. The story varies from telling to telling- some say he was a mere shepherd, resting as he watched over his flock. Some say he was a hunter, on his way home. Others say he was a travelling prince, or king. However it goes, Selene could not take her eyes away from the man.

Night after night, she would return to watch him, and as she did, she fell in love with him. She would visit him in his dreams, and they would talk for hours, until it was time for her brother, Helios- who was the god of the Sun- to rise and ride the sky in the day." The far away look that covered Selene's face as she retold the tale of her namesake warned Ana that this was not merely a myth that she was telling a random American tourist, but she didn't interrupt.

"Time passed, and Selene could not bear being apart from him any longer. She went to Zeus, the god who ruled as king over the others and begged him to make her mortal lover immortal. Zeus, however, was tricky. He granted Selene her wish, but there was a price. He made the human sleep for eternity. Though he did not grow old, he would never wake. Selene would have to be contented with watching over him as he slept."

"That's terrible," Ana was almost annoyed at the head god of the Greek pantheon- though she'd read much the same in the online versions of the myth. Selene smirked.

"Yeah, not really sporting of old Zeus to do… but then, as far as Gods go… he was kind of…. A jerk is the _nicest_ word I can use to describe him…. anyway, the story goes that she and her human- er, kind of- husband had fifty kids or something."

"What… what was the guys' name? I read something like Endymion or something…?"

"That's the general consensus, The name, I mean." Selene rolled her eyes. "Funny, since the story is far more than just _that…_ The moon falling for a human, I mean." She sighed. "Still, it's one of my favorite myths…"

Ana chuckled a bit at that, before she looked around again. She frowned and checked her watch before blinking owlishly at the time. "I've been gone almost all day…" she said, surprised. Selene laughed.

"Yeah… and you may be a little sunburnt, as well…" she drawled, her ice-blue eyes Ana, who's skin was rapidly turning pink from the sun. Ana gasped.

"Oh, crap!" she yelped, jumping up from the sand, then immediately wincing, as the burn started to smart. Selene got up with her, shaking her head.

"You forgot to put on sunscreen, didn't you?" she asked, sympathy in her tone. Ana winced.

"I… didn't think I'd be out that late… I just wanted to go to a library or bookstore…. I didn't expect to run into anyone long enough… and I _did_ put on sunscreen before going out… but it must have worn off…."

Selene giggled. "I have something for that… if you'd like to come with me… my parents won't mind…" without waiting for Ana's answer, she caught her by the wrist (in a surprisingly strong grip) and pulled her along- mindful of the burns on her arms, taking her down the seafront, in a way that avoided too many people.

While Ana was rather uncomfortable with following Selene to her home, she didn't really have much of a choice at the time… and the deep feeling that she _knew_ Selene wouldn't go _away_ \- much to Ana's vague annoyance. She didn't _want_ the dreams to be real, but the girl dragging her along wouldn't let her go on believing they were _just_ dreams.

No… they were memories. She was beginning to believe that now…. And she suddenly wanted nothing more than to call her mother… She would, too. She promised herself she would as soon as she got back to her hotel room. God, she wanted to hear Miranda's voice. She wanted to hear Ciera's voice, too. Her grandmother was always a voice of reason.

 _ **Zoisite Siryvovk**_

 _Catharsis- the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions._

Zoisite read the definition over and over again. He snorted. If only that was what he felt with the return of his memories. He shoved a hand through his unbound hair- which he usually had tied in a ponytail… but right now, he just… couldn't muster up the annoyance at it…. Actually, he really couldn't _feel_ anything. He was numb.

Completely numb. There was even a buzzing sound in his ears, blocking out everything else. He would like to say that he felt guilt over what had happened- and a few short hours ago (before Setsuna had found him), he would have been able to say that…

He knew he was acting off… how could he not? Objectively speaking, he didn't even _do_ the shit that he remembered… not in this life, anyway. In no way was he responsible for anything- and he'd known that since he _started_ recovering the memories. If any of his brothers saw him in the state he was in, they'd poke and prod it out of him- and he couldn't let them do that. He needed time to build that wall back up- to compartmentalize.

He'd be working with the Sailor Scouts- _all_ of them- soon. From what his Setsuna and the other aunts told them, he'd be working closely with Sailor Mercury. He shook his head against the elation that bypassed the buzzing emptiness. He- _They_ \- couldn't afford to fraternize with them… not after the last time…

 _But the last time, it was a taboo… she's fair game now…._ He hissed against the errant thought. "Shut up," He growled. "It's _not_ happening."

"Talking to yourself, Zoi? That's a bad sign…" Zoisite spun around, hand flying to the _nonexistent_ sword at his side to face… Jadeite. He immediately relaxed, sending the blonde a dark glare.

"I'm _not_ talking to myself." He snarled.

"Wow, touchy…. And here I was worried about you." His voice dripped in sarcasm, a glare on his own face- which was shockingly out of place.

"Well, don't. Go away." Zoisite said tersely.

"Not happening, bro." he took a seat at the table, and made himself comfortable. His grey-blue eyes were trained on the slightly younger man. "Spill." He said bluntly. "You know I'm going to get it out of you, anyway…. And you _really_ don't want Kunzite or Nephrite coming in." his voice held a warning to it, and Zoisite inwardly cursed. This was _exactly_ what he'd been hoping to avoid… but he had a trump card.

"You first." Was his simple reply.

 _And chicks wondered why guys didn't have heart-to-hearts_ , Jadeite mused to himself as he watched Zoisite take a seat. He sighed. It wasn't like it was even that bad. He shrugged. "Saw a pair of _very_ attractive beachgoers doing Yoga." He said it calmly, "Was about to go over to talk to em… and then I couldn't." he sighed. "All I could think was- they aren't mine; I'm poaching on my brothers… and that _she_ was going to kill me." He shook his head. "I don't know who _she_ is… and Kunzite and Nephrite… well, they don't exactly date anymore."

Zoisite blinked in confusion. "Yeah… not since…. What was her name? Maggie? Well, at least for Nephrite… Kunzite, as far as I know, has _never_ been in a committed relationship." He hesitated, remembering what his aunt had told him before leaving.

"Your turn, man. What the hell happened when you went out? Because I've _never_ seen _that_ reaction." Jadeite refocused on his prey. Zoisite sighed.

"I… I saw someone at the library." He began, then he dropped the bombshell. Worst case: Jadeite would recover _his_ memories… but perhaps that was a good thing… if they were anything like his though… "I recovered my memories." He stated.

His answer seemed to shock the other knight. He gaped, rocking back in the chair. "Holy…. Fuck how bad _were_ they…?" he asked, blue-grey eyes trained on his own green ones. Zoisite winced. He'd almost hoped that Jadeite wouldn't ask that.

"Bad." He said simply. One look from Jadeite (one that he didn't use often, a mix of something that said _bullshit_ , and annoyance that worked on _all_ of them _every_ time) was enough to get him to spill it all. "Endymion's former self wasn't the only one who…. Well… she was one of the Moon Princess' guards." He hesitated. "She was the reason that Beryl was able to… get into my mind." He shuddered. "And then, I killed her."

Strictly speaking, he didn't really tell Jadeite everything (and he wouldn't). But he did tell the other knight just enough to have him paling. The implications… tied to Jadeite's _own_ experience at the beach… it made for a truly vicious cocktail. Half of him wanted to say _fuck this_ and leave….

Even if he couldn't. He- _they_ \- had no choice but to work with the Sailor Guardians… no matter the price. It wasn't a choice.

But exactly _how_ many of their lives would they have to give up for this cause? How many times would they be asked to give up their lives for this one thing? When would it be enough? And… how many times would he be forced to relive a past he had _no_ interest in remembering? How many other memories was he missing and how many of them were filled with things he would sell his soul to forget?

In despair, he leaned over, his hands buried in his hair as he tried to push it all away. "What the hell are we doing, Jade?" he asked, exhaustion in his voice, in every line of his body.

The blonde was _rocked_. He knew that Zoisite had left _glaring_ gaps. Huge, possibly scarring holes in the story, and really, Jadeite didn't _want_ to ask, because their pasts were too similar. How many sins were on their souls, anyway? He shook his head, a feeling of dread filled him. He knew then that, because of this one conversation, the floodgates guarding his _own_ psyche would be wrenched open. There was no escape now…. He knew that as soon as he closed his eyes, he'd see what he'd been holding back from himself.

"What the fuck are we going to do?" he mumbled, slumping in his own seat. Across from him, Head still bowed Zoisite shook his head.

"I don't fucking know, Jadeite." He said it heavily. "Fuck…. We have to work with them."

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

It was a beautiful villa, Ana thought almost wistfully, as Selene dragged her through the door. So in her own mind was she, that she barely heard Selene calling for her mother. Absently, she rubbed her reddened arm before gasping in (not a small amount of) pain. She'd all but forgotten the reason that she'd been _dragged_ here in the first place.

"Sorry, sounds like mom's not here." Selene told her with a grin.

"Selene, _why_ are you yelling?" Ana jumped, looking around for the other person in the room. the voice itself sounded like it was right next to her, only closer to the ground. She looked down and… there was a cat- a _beautiful_ cat, a black furred Bombay with an upside-down crescent moon symbol on its forehead.

Ana screamed, and backed up. "That.. the…. _That cat just_ _ **talked**_ **!** " she yelped.

" _Selene!_ " the cat yelled in retaliation. "You _brought someone home_?"

Selene herself looked caught between exasperation and laughter. "Luna!" she laughed. " _You're_ the one who should know better than to be _talking_ when you don't know someone that's here as well- and you _smelled_ her, so don't give me that look."

The _cat_ (Anahita was _still_ trying to wrap her mind around that) seemed to have nothing to say to that, and just sighed, shaking her head, while Ana herself just gaped at the other girl in the room who looked like she was about to die of laughter. "T-the… cat… I mean… what is _happening_?"

" _Luna_ is my guardian. She's been watching over me since I was a baby." Selene explained after she managed to clam herself down. She wiped away a tear as she talked. "And she _knows_ better than to scare the life out of people- usually, she has _much_ better manners than that."

"But… she's a _cat_! She shouldn't be able to… to…. t-talk!" Anahita was _really_ freaking out, now, Selene thought idly. Normally, Luna was better about stuff like this… but… really, did Anahita lose _all_ of her wonder and sense of the fantastic in this life? Ami hadn't freaked out like this when Luna first spoke in front of _her…_

"Oh, for heaven's sake…" Luna sighed- she _was_ a bit annoyed. "I'm not going to hurt you… and I promise, talking is the _only_ thing I do."

Hesitantly, Ana moved back into the entryway, blue eyes wary behind her glasses. She crouched down to rub Luna's head; immediately, the cat started purring. Ana grinned at that, though still a little wary of the situation. Selene cleared her throat. Ana blinked, and looked up at her, and (despite her arms hurting), picked Luna up.

"Come on in, I'll see if I can find that stuff that… one of my aunts bought- it really helps with burns." she turned, obviously expecting Ana to follow her, and led her to the living room. "My brother's out with his friends right now, and, besides Luna, we seem to be the only ones home." She smiled at her and disappeared. When she came back, she was holding a glass bottle with a sort of paste in it.

"What's in it?" Ana asked as Selene approached. Selene grinned. "Basil, Calendula, Oregano, Rosemary, Olive oil and Coconut Oil. All Natural. She gets it from a small shop in Russia… I can't remember the name of it… Taiga something…"

"None of those plants are native to Russia." Ana muttered. Selene laughed.

"I wouldn't know… but I bet they have a greenhouse." She drawled lightly, as she dabbed some of it on Ana's burns. "I can get you some Valerian tea if you'd like… but that'll make you pretty sluggish…"

"How do you know so much about this stuff?" Ana asked, confusion warring with interest. Selene laughed again.

"Luna's been forcing me to _learn things_ since I was a toddle, and after my… er.. aunts came into my life, it's been non-stop… especially with Setsuna, Hotaru, and Michiru." She rolled her eyes.

"Those sound very Japanese… are you…?"

"Nope, pure Greek here. I call them my aunts because it's easier than to explain… and I also might get locked up in a loony bin, if I tried…"

"And yet, you're telling me?" Ana frowned.

"Well, yeah…what are you gonna do? Go to the police and tell them that the girl with the talking cat may or may not be up to something?"

Ana had nothing to say to that… she was right. Likely, _she'd_ get put in a psych ward... She sighed in defeat. "You have a point."

"Of course I do. Now, since I've got you here…. Are there any questions you'd like to be answered… like how I managed to astral project myself into your dream? Or… you know… _why_ I astral projected myself into your dream?"

"By all means, let's start with something simple." Ana drawled.

"Well… The _Why_ isn't actually that simple." Selene frowned as she rubbed the natural salve on Anahita's arm. "Let's go with this… have you been having dreams? Like…. You wake up and… well, sometimes, you don't know who you are, or where you're at?"

Ana froze at the question. Warily, she examined the oddly serious expression Selene was wearing. "How…"

"Did I know?" Selene sent her a smile that was almost sad. "Mostly because the same thing's been happening to me… since before I can remember- at least, according to my parents…

 _ **Tova Romanov**_

Trying to sleep in was difficult. She was used to being up nearly at the crack of dawn- to tend to her flowers and plants in the giant conservatory (that they just kept adding to, for one reason or another), or to go running- or even school. She'd never given herself a day off. Never had the time, really. She'd really have to get used to _not_ doing anything productive…

She doubted that would happen.

She was still plagued by dreams at night- her tall, brunette stranger that she couldn't quite remember still sometimes crept into her mind during the day… She'd been in Greece for a week, and she'd been meeting the blonde- Thisbe- every morning to do morning yoga or spar with (Thisbe had told her that she, too, found it hard to focus on _not_ doing anything), and from there, she'd been at a loss…

She'd started trying to find an herb store like her own little shop… called her family _multiple_ times… she sighed as she sat back in a chair at a small bistro (or whatever the Greeks called it), pouting. What the _hell_ was she supposed to do on vacation?

She was still ruminating when she felt… a disturbance. Not a _bad_ one… but… she turned toward the direction it was coming from…. And froze her green eyes went wide, and she couldn't stop the gasp that came from her mouth at the sight.

It was… _him_. Walking across the street, he stood tall- and that was coming from _her_ , the Amazon (she _detested_ that nickname) that stood at 5'9 (barefooted). He had to be at 6'5" at _least_. And oh, god, he was… she couldn't think of a word to describe him in person. _Beautiful_ seemed close- in a purely masculine way, of course. Ruggedly, ruthlessly beautiful. His long dark hair was almost curly and tied back- as if he'd never in his life cut it, with the face of a god. His build was brawny, his chest wide and cut into something worthy of a Greek statue. Her heart seized.

God, she could see his _eyes_ from here (or, perhaps it was just her dreams filling in the blanks) … but that deep, dark blue that was almost violet, and they stared straight through her. She was suddenly filled with a desperate sort of longing… it _hurt_ to look at him. Actually _hurt_. She felt the pain deep in her chest….

 _To be with him would be courting death…_

The errant thought came without warning, and it caused her to break her gaze. It went to her hands, instead, and she saw that they were shaking. Her breath came out in a gentle, quiet sob, and she couldn't stop the wave of grief that suddenly ran through her veins. It was almost debilitating, the feeling. A flicker of fear crept up as well. No one had ever caused her to have such a strong reaction- and she did _not_ like the feeling.

 _He is my death_

She shook her head, banishing the thought, though she trembled, still. "Miss, are you well?" she turned to the waitress, who looked concerned, as she struggled to control the volatile emotions. She realized, with a small start that she'd been crying. In a store… how embarrassing… She shook her head and gave the other woman a small smile.

"Uh. Yes. I'm… I'm alright." She answered hesitantly. "Just… remembered a bad dream…"

 _ **Hestia Kumogi**_

The house was kind of like a temple… if she squinted, there were… similarities…. But that didn't' matter right now. All that mattered was that inside that villa (as she supposed it was called) was a bed… and after _hours_ of being on a plane (and then the _annoyance_ on the plane with the flirty man in the next seat over- which made it just seem _so much_ longer), and then two more hours of being in a taxi, she wanted one thing, and one thing only.

To sleep.

She had never (amongst her classmates) been known to have a sweet temperament at the best of times. Right now? She felt as if she would turn anyone to bother her into a pile of ashes on the ground because _fuck travelling_. At the moment, she couldn't even understand what had _possessed_ her to leave her precious home, her darling grandfather, and _everything she'd ever known_.

She didn't bother with her bags, opting to just leave them in the entryway. She was in no fit state to deal with them. She also didn't bother with the kitchen. She just went straight to the bed and collapsed, praying to the gods that- for once- she would get a reprieve from the night terrors she'd suffered since childhood. All she wanted was a dreamless, heavy sleep for the next _day_.

After all, she had about six months to figure this whole episode out.

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

What was she supposed to say, she wondered. Part of her (a very _large_ part) wanted to deny it- though she knew it wouldn't change the reality of the situation… but the dream she'd had just before coming on this trip… it came to the forefront.

No, she didn't want it to be real… but that didn't make it any less so. "It's all real, then." She said it dully.

Selene smiled sadly. "I'm afraid so," she said it with empathy. She knew exactly what the other girl was going through- or, well, she knew enough.

"What happened?" Ana whispered.

Selene sighed now. "I don't know. The Aunts… that is, Michiru, Haruka, Setsuna, and Hotaru refuse to tell me." She frowned. "They've been teaching me- training me- since childhood… and still, they refuse to tell me anything. The last time I asked, I was told that I needed to find my _sisters_ before they would reveal everything." She sighed as she shook her head.

"I… took a chance with you." She smiled again, now, an impish grin that had Ana grinning as well- effectively pulling her out of the… mood she'd just been in. "I actually didn't know where you were… lucky me, you were on your way here… so, it wasn't a total loss…"

Something she said made Ana frown. "Wait, the- er _aunts_ said to find your sisters? How many others are there?"

"Counting you? There's four."

"Four? Wouldn't that bring our total up to… nine?" the surprise in Ana's tone seemed amusing to the silver-haired girl, but it was the cat who answered.

"Well, yes… to be precise… You nine are known as the _Senshi_ \- that is, an intergalactic warrior. _You_ are known as Sailor Mercury." she jumped onto the couch, a strange… object in her hand- it looked like a… ring? Ana frowned. She distinctly remembered a _pen_ …

"Yes, well, we figured jewelry was easier… especially since we're not using a _game matchine_ this round." The cat drawled. "Take the ring, and say "Mercury power, Make up."

Ana took the ring but did not say the words. "What will happen to me if I put on this ring?" she demanded of the cat as she fiddled with it in her hands. Luna just smirked.

"Do as I say, and you'll see." She said simply, even as Selene jumped up, eyes firing with excitement.

"Here, I'll show you what happens!" she said with a grin, and then she said, "Moon power… Make up!"

The change was instant. There was a flash of light, and instead of a young woman wearing shorts and a tank top, she stood wearing what looked like a… _sailor_ outfit? It was white with a short, blue skirt (shorter than anything Ana had _ever_ worn in her _life_ ) and red shoulder pads, with red trimmed, white gloves that ended at her elbows, and a bright red bow in front. She also wore a red choker with the same symbol on it that Luna had on her forehead, and on her buns, there were two red gems. She wore a gold diadem with a red gem and, the brooch that Ana hadn't noticed up till now was in the center of the bow. It was paired with a pair of red, knee high boots that ended in points and were lined with red (and also had an upside-down crescent moon on them).

She grinned at Ana, who looked on in shock. "I'll turn into _that?_ " she gasped. Luna sighed.

"No, not exactly. Your uniform is a bit different." Luna informed her.

"I hope it has a longer skirt…"

"Oh, it's not that bad…." Selene pouted a bit. "I like it."

"I've _never_ worn a skirt that short! _Ever_!"

"You'll get used to it. Now, do it." Luna snapped.

Surprise from the cat's tone, she jumped up from the couch, and put the ring on. Hesitantly, she muttered the words… and then, after the flash of light dissipated, she ran to the mirror she'd seen earlier in the hall and froze, eyes going wide in shock (and a bit of horror). The changes were there for her to scrutinize, and that, she did.

She looked… different. Was her pixie cut longer? She'd have to fix that, she thought dumbly. Even as she moved past that… there wasn't much difference between what she was wearing and what Selene was wearing…. Besides the color and lack of shoulder pads. Her bow was blue, her (high heeled) boots were blue, the gem in her diadem was blue- as was the choker she wore- and the four earrings she wore (which was weird, prior to transformation, they'd been white-gold), and she held no moon insignia anywhere. The skirt, however, was still short.

"I… um… how do I reverse…?" she asked, stuttering, her eyes almost horror filled. She barely resisted the urge to try and cover her now exposed legs. God, she felt like she was almost _naked_.

Immediately, though as if with just a thought… she reverted back into what she'd been before. She looked wildly at the cat. "Why now?" she asked. "Why are you telling me this _now_? What's going on that's _so_ big that you decide _now_ is the time?"

The cat hesitated. "True, the last time we did this, the trouble was more… real. Tangible. _You,_ yourself had been in peril, and I suppose that it was easier for you to… accept it. The danger is still here, of course… and you can _see_ it… it's all over- the rise in crime in certain places… the unrest between certain countries… an odd feeling in the very _air_ … there's danger, but it is… dormant? Or the closest thing _to_ dormant."

"Danger… oh, god, my great-grandmother and mother are here! Are they…?" worry suddenly took her, and Luna shook her head.

"As of now? No. I will be going to find them, as soon as you and Selene find the others…. But the more of you that become… active, the more the energy of… the evil one will be released. Tread cautiously." The cat warned.

"I… I need to think about this." Ana said it softly. "This is all so… unreal."

"Oh, it gets worse in that respect. I won't tell you all of it now." The cat's eyes glitter with amusement at the thought.

"I feel like my world just got turned upside down." Ana mumbled.

"More like halfway turned. As I said, it gets weirder."

"Sure. She's the reincarnated princess of the moon, and I'm a warrior for the universe. Tell me, Luna, _how_ can this get _any_ weirder?"

Luna- in an alarmingly human-like move- shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, I'm just a talking cat- that can turn into a human." She drawled. This earned a double take from not only Selene, but Ana as well. She blinked, taken aback by the revelation.

"I'm sorry, what?" was her reply. Luna just smirked.

"And you were saying…? Something about it _can't_ get any weirder…?" she asked dryly.

Flabbergasted, Ana couldn't do anything besides gape at the cat. "I can't… I don't…"

"You never told me you could take on a human form!" Selene gasped, then pouted at her, hands on her hips. "That was mean, Luna."

"Well… it's not something that I can… do as of now." She examined her claws. "After all, most of my power at the moment is being expended trying to find the location of the other three missing warriors…. Thankfully, I can stop expending myself _so_ dreadfully far… now that they're all in this general area."

Selene was brought up short by that… "What?"

"They're all here… and soon…" she sighed. Equal parts of worry and happiness came to the cat's eyes. "It's starting. Soon… we will tell you _all_ of it… or, well, as much as we can. It will not be easy to hear, Selene. Anahita. Best prepare yourself for what you will hear."

"If you can give me answers on my… dreams… then I'll be here." Ana told the cat. "I'm not sure I want to fight… but it doesn't sound as if I have a choice… and with my mother and great-grandmother at risk… I'll do anything to keep them safe."

"Then for now, dear Mercury, go back to your room. Do not reveal this to anyone, lest you be put into the same danger you were the last time. Take time to rest, to come to terms with all that you've heard. In two days, we will start in earnest to find the other three…. And when they're all here, we will call the four Outer Senshi."

Selene bid her good night, as she left the house. Her mind was full, the information was a constant reminder of what was about to happen, and Ana wondered if she would dream of the past as Luna had told her. She returned to her hotel room at sunset. On autopilot, she ate dinner in the hotel's diner, and then got ready for bed. As she lay in the dark, she wondered if she _wanted_ to know the rest, but she knew the answer to that already. The question was really: Was she _ready_ for the information that she would get later?

* * *

 **merendinoemiliano _\- Thanks for that... it was an answer to someone else's question- which was is Selene more like Usagi/Serena or like Serenity._**

 **Guest 1 _\- Thank you._**

 _ **Guest 2** \- Thanks ... and... well, I... might do a sequal... but... uh... let me get through this one first. It's still got a _**ton** _ **of mileage.**_

 **Dragonlover** _ **\- Thanks. I appreciate it.**_

 **A Summers Melody** _ **\- thanks for stopping at chapter 2... and I only barely know what I'm doing... so... that makes two of us. As for the ammount of likes and stuff... well, I take what I can get.**_

 **Iija _\- Hotaru is 5'2"... so, she's short. I kinda think it's funny (with great power... comes small stature- look at Yoda). Yeah, she misses baby Usa- but she also knows that she'll_ eventually _be born... and as I low-key of ship baby Usa with Helios... I agree. As to Anahita- I've shortened it in the writing to Ana, so, it might be a bit easier... and as for Angst... well, I can't say I don't like it (after all, I derive so much fun from making characters suffer *Evil laughter in the distance*), but I also like to temper it out with humor. This chapters got some serious angst, though._**

 **Venusian Angel** ** _\- Heh... (*Evil Laughter from last comment answer continues and intensifies*) be careful what you wish for... I got that relationship drama _allllll _played out in my head. There will be more history weaving though. I'm a history nerd. Though the myth in this chapter... well, I kind of put my own little spin on it... in the myth, there's no mention of Selene visiting Endymion (who I didn't name) in his dreams._**

 **Guest 3** ** _\- I... might do that to the generals later... though I'd have to do more name research (ugh... JK I love doing that. I once came up with over 50 OC characters and that meant 50 different names... now that... makes this look like child's play)._**

 **sudenmorssian** ** _\- Thank you... and I will keep writing it. I promise. Now that I've managed to get out of the writer's block corner..._**


	9. Mercury part 3

_**Ok, so, I don't know the age-group most of my readers are in, or the percentage of gender (and I really don't care), but… If you'd like to know about Kunzite's job… well… I got the idea from a book series I read (that I cannot officially recommend to anyone under the age of…. Well fuck it. I started reading smut fics at 11- so… 18 is officially the age of recommendation… doubt that you're all over that age, anyway) … actually, it's like, three series now. The author is Christine Feehan- the first series is the Sea Haven series; it's followed by Sisters of the Heart series- and that's followed by the Torpedo Ink series. Kunzite is a cop… but… well, if you've read the series (es? I don't know), then you know what he does.**_

 _ **Suffice to say, he's not really a cop, per say.**_

 _ **On another note, I had way too much fun writing Anahita's mother…**_

 _ **and I also don't know where that whole second half of Ana's POV came from...**_

 _ **Also, SLEEP DEPRIVATION RULES! (JK it totally sucks)**_

 _ **LONGEST CHPATER OF THIS STORY! (and I blame the fact that I've been awake for longer than I care to think about... ~yay sleep deprivation~) also, give me your opinion- should I give poor Pluto a love interest? I mean... it'd be more work... and I already accidentally another love story (when will the madness end?) ... but... yeah...**_

 _ **Anywho, last Chapter of Mercury. Up next is Mars, then in a few chapters, it's going to be Jupiter, and then Venus... and then, I'll be getting the whole shebang together- at least that's the plan.**_

Part 2- Mercury

Where shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly 's done, when the battle 's lost and won.

~Shakespeare- Macbeth

Chapter 3

 _ **Nephrite Lyall- Earlier that Day**_

Something drove him to entering that café. He didn't know what… but by the time he did, the feeling had dissipated. He frowned as he stood awkwardly in the doorway, scanning the little shop's interior for the source of the feeling.

When he didn't find it, he left, but the nagging feeling would not go away- pulling him towards the road, now. Unable to do anything else, he followed. To his growing aggravation, he couldn't quite catch up (though he felt as if he'd been close once or twice). There was _something_ that caught his eye, though- or rather, someone.

She was weaving her way through the crowd, yards of pitch-black hair that fell straight as a pin to end of her spine. She was slim, a bit shorter than average- he'd put her at about five foot, four inches. When he caught a glimpse of her face as she turned, he could see the shockingly _violet_ eyes, and the expression of annoyance that marred the exceptionally beautiful face.

She may not have been his type (hell, he was six foot, six, and felt like a fucking giant compared to most people- the only one who made him feel remotely _normal_ about his height was Haruka… so dating short women…. Was _not_ an actual option for him… the one time he'd _tried…_ well, Maggie wasn't exactly keen on him at the moment...), but he couldn't deny she was attractive.

And Familiar….

 _Very_ familiar…

He shook his head, the beginnings of a headache that always occurred when he tried to remember coming on. Deliberately, he let the jagged piece of memory go, and decided to follow her for a bit- after all, Jadeite wouldn't be too pleased if his woman got hurt…

And just where the _fuck_ did that thought come from? Jadeite- like Zoisite- had the reputation of being a bit of a player- though while Zoisite played on his _bad-boy_ (something that Nephrite couldn't even _think_ without snorting in derision) persona, Jadeite was known to be more of a… frat boy.

Neither seemed to _want_ an actual relationship.

Nephrite, however, could not help but look for her. He could not remember her- no detail seemed to stick outside of the fogged- over dreams that were just out of reach… all he remembered were her eyes… Green- as green as a jade-albite stone.

Honestly, those eyes were probably the reason he'd started it up with Maggie in the first damn place. He shook his head as he followed the woman at a distance. He stopped, though, when she made her way to the seaside villas. Figuring she'd been heading back to her home, he turned.. only to walk into another woman.

She let out a yelp as she fell, and he inwardly cursed again. "God, I'm sorry," he said, mortified, as he held out his hand to help her back to her feet, the errant thought of _Kunzite's going to kill me_ was immediate- and confusing as hell.

She looked about the same age as the other girl- maybe eighteen or nineteen, and yet, she held herself as if she was someone much older, even on the ground, where she'd landed on her butt. She shook her head, a delicate hand on her golden head as she shook it. She let out a laugh, before taking his hand. "It's quite all right. I should have been watching where I was going." Her voice was throaty and low, she spoke (as he had) in English, though hers was accented with French. She tilted her head, and she met his dark blue-violet eyes with her own that were nearly the same color, albeit filled with humor her tanned face was stunning- perhaps more so than the dark-haired woman's.

She took his hand and he gently helped her up, horribly aware of his size compared to hers. "What a gentleman." She murmured, though the grin had flickered upon looking ag him. "Thank you for helping me up." She murmured.

"Least I could do after I knocked you over. Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I ran into _you_ , not the other way around." She drawled, still grinning. Abruptly, she turned toward the beach. "Ah… I'm running late," she murmured as she stepped away from him. she smiled at him again, before starting back on her way. "It was nice to meet you again, Nephrite." She said as she walked away.

He blinked in confusion. Her grin had turned secretive, dark blue eyes glinting now. She shook out he long, gold spun hair that was tied with a large, red ribbon as she left. HE stood there a few moments longer, wondering what the _fuck_ had just happened.

He hadn't told her his name….

 _ **Thisbe LeFevre**_

They were here… _all_ of them. In the deepest part of her soul, she knew that it was not only the guardians of the moon and the princess, herself were now all here… but the Prince of Earth… _and_ his damned, turncoat generals. Her dark eyes narrowed.

He seemed different than his last incarnation, true. As in, he wasn't actively trying to _kill_ her… but then again, he'd not known who- and _what_ she was.

The part of her that was still the head Senshi, the ancient princess of Venus and protector of the Princess of the Moon wanted to find out what he knew… and then end him before he had the chance to hurt her… or any of her fellow guardians and princesses. Or, before he had the chance to hurt Jupiter, specifically.

The part of her that was the lover of General Kunzite… wanted to know if he was there. If he remembered her.

 _If he still wanted her_ ….

She shook her head. She couldn't think that way. Artemis had already told her what was coming…. And as she made her way home- for the dinner she was late to (time sure flew by when in Greece). When she entered the cool villa, Artemis was there to greet her.

"Welcome home, Thisbe." He purred, green eyes glinting.

"They're _all_ here, Artemis." She said it calmly. "And I _know_ you knew…. Care to explain why you didn't tell me _a long_ time ago?"

"It wasn't pertinent at the time," came the cat's flippant answer. "You didn't need to know, and it wasn't for me to tell, so I didn't."

Thisbe ground her teeth, temper fraying just the slightest bit at that. "Are they _still_ brainwashed?" she demanded.

At this, Artemis rolled his eyes. "Of course not. _That_ was fixed the last time…"

" _What_ last time?" Thisbe demanded.

At this the cat just shrugged. "Never you mind. Now, Your mother has made what looks like a particularly good Moussaka dish…"

"I should make you eat cat food…." She grumbled darkly. Artemis just sent her an amused smirk.

"You do that, and I can _promise_ retaliation. And you _won't_ like what I do. You want a housecat; I'll _be_ a housecat."

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

She barely remembered the walk back to the hotel; her thoughts such a jumbled mess, she couldn't concentrate. The only thing that saved her was her photographic memory and autopilot movements (Despite only being in Greece one day). She opened the door and removed her glasses- setting them on the bedside table, and sat on her bed, eyes dazed.

She didn't notice when Macy walked it, happily chattering about how _great her day was- and did you go to the beach? Jason Vance was there- god, he is a_ treat _in a swimsuit…_ She smiled vaguely and nodded, going for some semblance of normal. She must have succeeded, because Macy was chattering up until they called for lights out- and then the other girl was _out_ like the lights.

Ana, meanwhile, went out to their verandah, cell phone in hand. It was only ten- err… 22:00; she knew her mother was still up- possibly going over her dig notes or handling a treasure that she'd uncovered. She dialed the number after a few seconds of bolstering her courage.

" _Hello, my baby."_ Her mother's warm tone immediately soothed her, and the tears that she'd been holding back by sheer willpower started to drop.

"Mommy." She whimpered, voice breaking as she used the term that she'd not used since she was thirteen. She cleared her throat before continuing, "Momma, I'm scared."

Immediately, Miranda's voice turned a bit sharp " _Anahita? What happened?"_

She curled into a little ball, arm hugging her legs to her chest. "The dreams… mom, the dreams are… _were_ real. I…. I met the princess." She whispered.

" _Dear, where are you right now?"_

"At the hotel. Mom, what do I do? If _she's_ real… then… then…" she couldn't finish, but Miranda knew. She always knew. To most, her daughter was a mystery. Not many knew what lay beyond that sharp brain, and many in the girl's childhood did not see that while she had an adult's mind, she still had a child's heart. Miranda _never_ forgot that. "Momma, I'm afraid to go to sleep." She whispered; the very real terror nearly choked her.

She was afraid of what she'd see when she closed her eyes.

" _I'll be there tomorrow, and Grandma will stay with you."_ She said it softly. " _We'll get around the school rules- there weren't any about you staying with family in the first place. New Thebes isn't far away from where I'm digging… shouldn't matter if we rent a villa… and my…. Colleges will understand- even if my_ boss _doesn't_ " Not that Miranda cared about what that man would say. Her daughter was _far_ more important than that man.

"Ok, thanks mom." She tried not to be too relieved (after all, she was nearly an adult… she shouldn't be clinging so to her mother). Still, she dried her tears and got up, feeling far better from just hearing her mother's voice than ever.

" _Get some sleep, little Snowflake. I'll see you tomorrow. Grandma send her love, as do I. Remember that, Anahita. We love you."_

"Love you, too, mom. Goodnight." With that, she ended the call, and made her way to her bed. Still, she did not close her eyes; though she was bone-tired after the days revelations, she could feel the restlessness as well- she wasn't sure if it was only the fear she'd expressed to her mother or not. She promised herself coffee (or _some_ form of serious caffeine in the morning) as she lay awake.

 _ **Zoisite Siryvovk**_

Sleep was impossible. He knew what would happen when he closed his eyes, and he had _no_ desire to relive (again) his past. If he thought that he needed atonement for betraying his prince, well… _this_ was surely a fitting punishment. He laughed darkly at the thought.

Instead of sleep, he went to the garage, cup of coffee in his hand. Among other things, Elysion had a _fantastic_ assortment of vehicles that the shitennou were all capable of taking care of- hell, they'd even started adding to the collection.

Truthfully, Nephrite and himself were the two who usually worked on the cars… Endymion didn't know anything besides the basics (that is, changing oil, lights, tires and windshield wipers); Kunzite was usually too busy… doing his job, which (unbeknownst to the silver-haired general) Zoisite was _well_ aware of what he did… out of respect for his privacy, he didn't spill the beans, and then there was the fact that if he did, the aunts would. Be. _Pissed_.

Actually, pissed would be an understatement…. Because when he'd found out (through hacking- and he wasn't ashamed to admit it- he had an insatiable curiosity and the other shitennou knew that), _he'd_ been _beyond_ furious. Sure, Kunzite was just doing what he'd been programed to do- which was under the title of soldier- but what he was doing was _beyond_ dangerous and really, _really_ stupid.

Kind of like what Zoisite himself, was planning on doing after school- not that he told the others what _that_ was. As far as they were concerned, he was planning to be an IT guy of some sort. _Of some sort_ was the key word…

He shook his head as he pulled his hair back into a ponytail and dived under the hood of an American muscle car- in this case, a classic 1969 Dodge Charger in cherry red. It needed a tune-up, anyway, and he was _happy_ to oblige. He worked in silence (well, he didn't say anything but the occasional swearing as he tore his knuckle on a bolt… in reality, he had music on to his favored music- heavy metal). He didn't look up from his project until he heard a voice.

"Little late to be playing mechanic." Came Kunzite's voice from the entrance of the garage. Zoisite grunted in reply.

"That isn't going to keep you occupied for long, though…" the older man stated as he observed. "She's too well taken care of."

"Well, then I'll go to a fucking scrap yard and buy another one." Zoisite snapped. "What do you want, Kunz?"

"Heard you come down here. You don't do that unless you're really pissed about something… or keyed up."

"This particular time, it's option two."

"Yeah? So… it's _not_ whatever you were talking to Jade about earlier in the library?"

Zoisite's hand slipped, resulting in _another_ cut. He cussed eloquently and _very_ inventively as he came back up. His green eyes were blazing with ire as he glared at the other man. "What the fuck, Kunzite?" he snarled.

Kunzite himself raised an eyebrow as he examined the man he thought of as a kid brother, a mocking smirk on his face. "Spill. Or I tell Endymion… and the other two aunts… and your parents." He tacked on the last, knowing that, while it really wouldn't matter, it was a sore spot with the youngest warrior.

"No you won't." this time, the younger general's voice was sharp, and a crafty smirk came to his own face. "Because if you do that, Kunzite, I'll be forced to tell them what _you've_ been doing…. For work."

That effectively wiped the smirk off of Kunzite's face.

Shit.

How did the little fucker know about that…? then it hit him. Of _course_ Zoisite knew. He'd be foolish to think that he wouldn't find out. "Thought I told you to stay out of my damn business." He snapped anyway.

Zoisite snorted. "Oh, you mean like you're doing right now? Look, I'll spill. Later. When I've had time to… compartmentalize. Right now, I'm not sure _I_ can handle it." He frowned. "I'm also not sure if it'll affect you…"

At that Kunzite froze. His eyes narrowed, sharpened to silver mercury as he regarded the youngest of them all. Suddenly, it was starting to make sense…. Jadeite's odd behavior as of late, the fact that Zoisite had come back earlier from Thebes looking like someone had just torn his throat out… "Did you recover your memories? Both of you?"

Zoisite hesitated. "I don't know about Jadeite. I don't actually know about _me_ either. I've started recovering some of the lost memories…" he shook his head, leaned against the car and crossed his arms, head bowed.

"What…?"

"Not your business, Kunzite." His eyes were hard as he looked back up. "Don't ask me."

"You told Jadeite."

"I didn't tell him exactly what I remembered- or, well, I did enough to wonder if I've dragged him down into this shitstorm I'm currently in. _You_ can't afford to be bombarded with this shit- not yet. Not until you finish your latest… case."

It was Kunzite's turn to start cursing. He _never_ wanted his brothers to find out the exact nature of his job within the Russian police force. It was just his luck that the youngest of them knew, because at this rate, he had no way of getting the kid to spill the story. He knew that Setsuna probably knew, but the chances of getting it out of _that_ woman were… about as high as the chances of joining the Russian Ballet himself.

 _ **Anahita Barker- the next morning**_

Her sleep was, thankfully, dreamless- she didn't even remember falling asleep. For the first time since she could remember, Ana woke feeling rested. A peaceful smile came to her lips as she rose, stretching her arms over her head.

She wondered if the day before had been a dream. Her hopes were dashed when she looked at her hand and saw the ring on the middle finger of her right hand. "Shit." She muttered as a strong sense of dread filled her.

"That has to be the _first_ time I've ever heard you curse." Macy's voice made her jump, and she gaped at the brunette. "Of course… I don't hear you talk much in general… not after that last time a teacher called you in class for the answer…" She grinned evilly.

Of course, Ana remembered that occasion vividly. Her blue eyes narrowed at the other girl. "The man was a _jackass._ "

"He quit at the end of the year." Macy's eyes were sparkling, though, mirth in her tone. Ana smirked back.

"I don't like being told I'm wrong… when I know I'm right."

"Nor do you like being asked if your cheating on a history test."

Ana's face went pink. " _That_ was years ago…" She mumbled. "And how do you even _know_ about that? I was _called_ out of class."

"Eh, and about an hour later, everyone in our year knew. Jason was in the office that day- sexy delinquent that he was, he'd punched another kid in the face." Macy smirked.

Ana laughed. "Oh, of course." She snorted, rolling her eyes. "And I suppose you hung onto _every_ word he said."

Macy blushed a bit, but the smirk stayed in place. "Of course."

"You know… you _could_ tell him how you feel…. After all, ten years is a _long_ time to like someone… and do nothing about it."

At this, Macy looked down, the expression on her face was hopeless. "He's never even looked at me…."

"That you know of." Ana smiled wanly. "Talk to him. You'll regret it if you don't."

Macy looked up at her, now. There was a look in her eyes. A look that made her look older than her nearly eighteen years. If Macy didn't know any better, she'd wonder just how old the girl was- because at the moment, she looked… ancient.

"Anyway…" Ana jumped up, "I need to go speak with the chaperones."

"I heard… your mom's here." Macy hesitated. "She's so pretty…" she didn't mention the fact that she was younger than she expected, and for that, Ana was grateful. "She did shatter one of my illusions, though." Now Macy's voice was playful again. "All this time, I thought you dyed your hair."

"Since I was _five_?" Ana's tone was incredulous.

Macy roared with laughter. Ana rolled her eyes.

"Oh, forget it. I'm going to go downstairs." She muttered, turning away. She paused at the door. "Just… remember what I said about Jason." She said before leaving.

She was at the bottom of the stairwell when she caught her first glimpse of her mother. She felt a weight she hadn't known was there lift off her shoulders. Dressed in baggy, dark khaki cargo pants that she'd cinched at her waist with a olive-green belt, a ribbed tank top the same color as the belt, and tan combat boots, with her blue hair- which had always been far longer than her daughter wore hers- up in a messy ponytail, she stood. Beside her was Ciera, who's own blue hair was streaked with white and pulled into a braid.

Both were slim and short- topping out at 5'2"- a build they'd passed on to Anahita. But that wasn't what caught her eye. No… what surprised Ana about the sight of her mother and great grandmother was the scene that they were embroiled in.

At the moment, her mother- her patient, wise and sweet mother, was _arguing_ with someone. He wasn't one of the chaperones- Ana hadn't ever seen this man. Ana blinked rapidly, because not only was she arguing… she sounded _pissed._

"How _dare_ you presume to tell me how to raise my daughter!" Miranda was screeching.

"Your _adult_ daughter, you mean? The one you always tell everyone is a genius?" the man sneered. Something in his tone made Ana frown. She may be an adult

"I don't presume to know how you handle _your_ children- if you have them, but you know _nothing_ of my daughter's situation… and _by the way,_ she's still a _child_ , you ass."

"If I'm correct, she's seventeen."

"Still a child," Miranda's voice was stubborn. "Why are you here, anyway? You may be the head archeologist on the dig, but _this_ is my day off."

"And you _just_ informed me that you were moving off site- well, more off site than before, because your _daughter_ asked you to." It was then that Ana cleared her throat, coming into view. Her eyes narrowed on the man who'd been snarling at her mother.

Miranda turned toward her, and immediately, the anger faded. "Ana." She said, completely ignoring the man as she pulled her daughter into a hug. "There's my little snowflake." She murmured in Ana's ear. Ana wrapped her arms around her mother and breathed in the familiar scent of her mother's favored tea… and the sweet-spice perfume that Miranda always wore.

"Mom." She mumbled.

"We were talking, Miranda." The man's voice was sharp- and, apparently, Miranda was done with it. She didn't even turn to the man as she replied. Opting, instead to examine her daughter for signs of stress and fatigue. Finding none, she smiled, even as she spoke.

"Shut the hell up, Silva. You are _not_ my boss- though you seem to think you are. There are no rules against me staying farther away from the dig site. I can do my job quite well from anywhere, and if you continue to argue with me about this, I'll take it to the board."

Most who looked at her saw a woman who was far too young to have a daughter Ana's age- and it was because of this that many of them underestimated her, thinking she was easily malleable- easily manipulated… and just plain easy. As such, he knew that it was no idle threat… he also knew that the board would take her side.

After fifteen years of knowing her, she was surprised that Darius Silva did not understand this about her. She was none of those things. She'd _clawed_ her way to the top on sheer grit and intelligence and the unwillingness to stay in the background. She, like her daughter, had the reputation of an Ice Queen.

Dr. Darius Silva found himself in the uncomfortable position of being glared at with those deep, blue eyes. He'd known she was a force to be reckoned with. She continued as if he had disappeared, telling the girl (who he'd be more likely to believe was Miranda's _sister_ , in all honesty) that she'd already cleared it with the chaperones and everyone else, and telling her to get her bags.

He took the time to _really_ look at the younger archeologist/anthropologist. She was known for being very carrier driven, but he'd heard about certain events- all while her daughter was growing up- where Miranda dropped whatever she was doing for the girl- be it schoolwork, a lecture she was giving, or a dig, she'd pack up and go.

Grant it, it didn't happen often, Miranda was _not_ what you would call over-protective… so perhaps he should give her some slack… but… he didn't understand the woman- or her family dynamics. She was closer to her grandmother (who at the moment was glaring at him as if he was the scum of the earth), close with her daughter, but never had he heard her talk about her mother.

And… what had happened to the girl's father?

Of all of the questions he had about the (annoyingly) fascinating woman, that was the one that just dug into his brain- for the fifteen years he'd known Miranda Barker… and he didn't want to look to closely at the reason for it.

After Ana went back upstairs to collect her things, Miranda spoke once more to him. "I don't expect you to either _like_ or _understand_ what's going on. I am not obligated to tell you a damn thing. _Why_ you followed me is _beyond_ my comprehension." Her voice was still fierce, and there was a tone of finality that almost intimidated him- almost. "She didn't _ask_ me to stay with her, but if she _had_ , I'd damn well do it, because she _never_ asks for anything. Furthermore, my daughter- whether she be three years old or thirty- _always_ comes first."

"And that's how most people get fired." He pointed out loftily.

"Yeah, well, we all know nobody will fire me, pal." She stuck a finger in his chest, and smirked up at him, eyes glittering with icy menace from under long, thick black lashes. "I'm much too smart for that."

"And modest, too." He muttered, trying- and failing to look away. She was _far_ too young for him to entertain any sort of thoughts about. For god's sake, what was she? Twenty-nine? He was nearly forty.

" _Modesty_ does nothing for me. It didn't get me the first twelve digs I wanted on. I have _no_ reason to think it's going to help me now."

"I'm ready, mom." Ana said from the doorway, bags in hand. Miranda turned from him again, effectively dismissing him and grinned at her. "The car's out front, sweetling. Your grandma will go with you." She looked at Ciera, who nodded and silently followed Ana out.

"What happened to your mother?" Darius asked the question against his better judgement… and completely out of the blue (though that was mostly to startle her into answering… many before him had asked the question, and they had been ignored).

She blinked in surprise but smirked with the answer. "I don't know. I haven't seen her since I was seventeen." With that, she left him standing there.

 _ **Zoisite Siryvovk**_

He hadn't slept at all. He knew, eventually, he'd crash. He was only human, after all- despite the superhuman abilities he possessed. He preferred it this way, though. The longer he stayed awake, the longer it would take his past to catch him. So, right now, he was working on a paper for one of his classes.

This was how Setsuna found him, Hair still in the (now very messy) ponytail from the night he spent in the garage (where he'd ended up tuning up all the cars), and eyes almost wild.

He was also shirtless- after spilling oil on the one he'd been wearing in the garage, he'd opted to take it off and throw it somewhere, not daring to go to his room or anywhere _near_ anything resembling a bed. He wore no shoes, either, only the stonewash, ripped up blue jeans he favored when out of uniform. He sat, mumbling as he divided his attention between the textbook and the paper he was writing on.

Sighing, the green-haired queen of Pluto sat opposite of him. "Sleep deprivation won't do you any good…" she reprimanded him gently. Piercing, green eyes shot up to hers, and she could almost _see_ him vibrating from the caffeine he'd been practically inhaling since three in the morning.

"Working so far." He said dryly.

"And when you crash?"

He had no answer to that, it seemed. She smirked. "I thought I taught you better than that, Zoisite." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but… you never…. I don't know, betrayed your planet and _prince_ for a woman, then subsequently got brain-jacked by an evil, jealous bitch who was working with _Chaos_ of all things… and then repeated the same damn mistakes every life after that."

"Are your forgetting the fact that you were- as you so _eloquently_ put it- brain-jacked? Zoisite, it wasn't your fault. Now, snap the hell out of it."

"Snap out of what?!" he roared, coming to his feet. The chair crashed to the floor as he did- the book went flying as he chucked it with as much force as he could muster at the wall. "Snap out of what I _did_? I may not have been responsible, but I _let her in my head_!" He felt as if he'd run a marathon, his eyes were wild. "I helped _kill_ one of my best friends- I _personally_ killed the woman I was in love with- not once, either! Over and over, every time we met, I _killed_ her! Then, there are all the _other_ people that were in my way! All because I was weak, and I let Beryl in my _fucking head_!"

Setsuna sat placidly, letting her son (of sorts) let it all out. He'd never been quite good with… _feelings_. Tended to bottle it up- letting off the steam in spurts. Never did he take the easy way, and just _talk_ about what was bothering him. He'd obsess over it, until someone sat him down, and forced him to snap.

On the outside, his _snapping_ would be catastrophic. Which was why he bottled it up in the first place. As he had power over the earth in the first place- perhaps not as much of a hold as Endymion, but the connection was still there- the earth herself reacted. Here in Elysion, there was no such problem.

"What's done… is done, my dear." She told him after he'd gotten his breathing under control. "She forgave you _long_ ago. So has Endymion. We four remaining Senshi have forgiven your past lives for their transgressions. It's getting time for _you_ to forgive yourself. You know what happened. You know what rock-bottom feels like… now, pick yourself back up."

As if hitting an off switch, he collapsed into another chair. "Fuck it all…" he muttered, shoving his hands through his hair. He was suddenly so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. Smiling serenely, Setsuna rose, and moved around the table. She put her hand on his shoulder and held out a phial filled with a bright, blue liquid.

"A mixture of the Eblirian and Shrade plants- both from my own home-world." She said gently. "When done right, the two create an elixir that gives the drinker a dreamless sleep. I think it will give you some time to figure everything out. One teaspoon will do the trick. Do not take more than that- there's well over a month's worth of doses."

Zoisite hesitated before taking it, then looked back at Setsuna. "What happens with more than one teaspoon?" he asked.

Setsuna shrugged. "Possibly a coma. You cannot die from this, Zoisite… and your death would do nothing to help anything but your own conscious, anyway."

The fact that she was right didn't exactly make Zoisite feel better, but he knew he wouldn't allow himself to do something so… _weak_ anyway. He took a deep breath before he rose again. "I understand, aunt Suna." He said quietly. She smiled at him, before she hugged him.

"Not for the first time, I look at you, my sweet little Zoisite, and I am truly _proud_ of the man you have become." She whispered in his ear. "And I know that this time, we will have victory, and it will be because of _all_ of us. Not just the other Senshi… but _all of us._ "

As he had when he'd woken from nightmares as a child, he hung onto her like a lifeline, feeling every inch the nine-year-old he'd been the last time she'd rushed into his room to find him crying. After a few minutes, she let him go. "Now, go. Get some sleep."

"Yes mom- ma'am" he mumbled. She watched as he stumbled out of the library, headed, she knew toward his quarters for some very much needed sleep.

"Well… that was certainly… eventful." Helios said from behind her. Setsuna shook her head and sighed as she picked up the chair that her boy had knocked over. "Can we expect a repeat performance from the others, do you think?"

She eyed the high priest before shaking her head. "Zoisite, by far, has the worst way of mulling things over." She responded. "He's… I can't say he's _overly-emotional_ , because he's not. He's logical- almost to a fault… which kind of wars with the fact that he _does_ have emotions… I can tell you that he will keep himself at a distance with Mercury- Ana is her name now, correct?"

"Not what I asked, my lady." Helios said dryly. At this, Setsuna snorted.

"It is _exactly_ what you asked. The others have their own ways of coping. I only know _my_ boy's way of doing it. You want to ask Michiru, Hotaru and Haruka about the other three… as for Endymion? Well, he's got a different story."

"Will history repeat itself?"

At the question, Setsuna rolled her eyes. "Of course it will," she said, almost annoyed at Helios, now. "They are soulmates. There is no way around it. Endymion will fall in love with Selene…. And his generals will fall in love with her guardians. It's been written in the stars from their first incarnations. What does a couple billion years change?"

"And what of you? Have you no soulmate out there?"

At this, a small, sad smile took the woman's face. "There was a time…" she sighed, "When I loved the same man as my princess. Now, as I helped to raise him, those feelings have all but dissipated, into what is now the same love I hold for Zoisite. As for a soulmate? I do not believe I have one… and should I be wrong, I believe that that person is far out of my grasp."

"Never say never, Setsuna." Helios murmured.

"If it happens, it happens. I cannot see my own fate." The keeper of time had tried many times, to no avail.

 _ **Anahita Barker**_

She was surprised to see where her mother had taken her- it was a familiar part of the beachfront- she knew for a fact that Selene's house wasn't far away. "How'd you pick this place, mom?" she asked as she unloaded her luggage out of the car.

"Perhaps I should just let you see." Miranda drawled with a slight grin. Out of the house ran Selene, who Ana gaped at.

"What? How?" she gasped as Selene wrapped her arms around Ana in a tight hug. Selene just laughed.

"Luna." She replied with a smile. As if waiting for her cue, the cat came out of the house as well.

"Suffice to say, I did _not_ expect the woman I talked to over the phone to be a _cat_." Miranda said it dryly, even as Luna jumped into her arms. Absently, the woman scratched Luna's ear.

"My parents and brother are here, too. They're all going to get you, your mom and grandma filled in on what's going on- at least as far as _we_ know. _I_ am going to take a walk." And with that, she disappeared.

"Is she always that… strange?" Ana asked Luna.

"Oh, yes and no… She must feel the pull of another Senshi… actually, I'm surprised she's only _now_ feeling the pull…"

"Likely, I was the closest, so she pinged on me, first…"

"Yes… and then, there's Artemis, who seems to be blocking the pull to Venus…"

"Artemis?"

"My husband." Luna smiled. "It's been almost seventeen years since I last saw him. Anyway, come inside. We'll talk more." With that, she jumped down from Miranda, and led them inside. Ciera and Miranda followed without pause, but Anahita hesitated, on hand on the door jam.

Trepidation filled her as she stood there… she wondered exactly _what_ she was afraid of. She was no coward to shirk away from change, and she wouldn't start now. Deliberately, she stepped into the house and followed after her family.

 _ **And that's a frickin' wrap. ONWARD to more drama! Also, Youma to follow- probably…. I gotta work one in, somewhere, after all… you know,**_ **before** _ **all the shit hits the fan.**_

 _ **Only two reviews right now….. can't be too surprised by that…**_

 **Prince of Petersburg** _ **: Sorry for taking so long…. Anyway, I don't intend to give this up anytime soon… anyway, glad you like it.**_

 **A Summer's Melody** _ **: Thank you, and I hope this lives up to your expectations.**_


	10. Author's Note

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE, PLEASE READ.**_

 _ **Okay, so… I'm rewriting the whole thing- I realized that there were a few things wrong with the original story- and**_ **I** _ **don't like them. Luckily, I'm only nine chapters in… so I can go back without**_ **too** _ **much of a jolt to my longtime readers.**_

 _ **To put it simply- the location where the majority of the story takes place needs to be changed- as**_ **(ha-ha)** _ **Here are a list of changes.**_

 **First:** _ **Thebes isn't**_ **anywhere** _ **near a beach- it's more inland… so I changed**_ **that** _ **location.**_

 **Second** _ **…. I finally broke down and gave the Shitennou their own names. Their**_ **titles** _**will still be the stones (which, by the way are all**_ _ **mOtHeR fUcKiNg GREEN**_ _ **with the**_ _ **EXCEPTION OF KUNZITE**_ _ **\- and while I don't mind that- green is one of my favorite colors, after all- it was an**_ **absolute** _ **PAIN IN MY ASS**_ _ **while rewriting the Prologue) but they finally get real names- that begin with the same letters as their stones.**_

 **Third** _ **: The girls' names: One of you guys said that Mercury's name threw you off a bit, and I agree. Her name is further-more to be Indra- or Indi for short. Mars' name threw**_ **me** _ **off when writing her- well, attempting to write her- so her name will be Paz, now.**_

 **Fourth** _ **: I changed**_ **all** _ **of their 'original' names- that is, I changed the names they had as princesses during the Silver Millennium. Jupiter was named Varisha; Mars was named Nivathi; Venus was named Dashurie; and Mercury was Zarana.**_

 **Fifth** _ **: I forgot Luna and Artemis in the Prologue chapter. Whoops. They just kinda. Show up. In chapter 1. Gotta fix that.**_

 _ **I will also be changing other mistakes that really don't fit in there. So, yeah.**_

 _ **Anyway, thanks for reading this, and I'll be taking this A/N down after I've gotten done rewriting… but I'll also**_ **not** _ **take the story completely down. That would be terrible of me. When I'm done with the rewrite, I will just post it all at once- should take me a bit, but I'll get it out ASAP- as in, in the next month. What else am I gonna do with two TWELVE HOUR shifts?**_

 _ **Hopefully, you all like my changes- but it means you'll have to go back and reread it all, because I can**_ **promise** _ **you, the changes I make will be there, and the rest of the thing will not make sense unless you do. It'll have enough of 'em to make it**_ **almost** _ **seem like new material. (Keyword: ALMOST).**_

 _ **As I write this, I have completed the new Prologue, and am working on Chapter 1.**_

 _ **Thank you for sticking around this long.**_

 _ **Angel Of Pandemonium**_


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